Seeking Love
by luvsalormon18
Summary: Princess Serenity has been dreading the day that she would become officially engaged to the Prince of Earth. She has heard stories about how rude, arrogant, and vapid he is; that's how all Prince's are. On the other end of the stick Prince Endymion will do practically anything from letting the words "I do" escape his mouth. A story of mistaken identity, action, and romance.
1. Chapter 1

Seeking You

Chapter 1

_ A wise woman once told me that there are many paths for one to travel on a river, but one will always find themselves going in one of two directions, up or down. She asked me which direction I would choose. To go back from where I came from, or to go forward into the new world. Being young and oblivious to the world around me, I told her I would go forward and face anything life would throw at me. She gave me that old lady smile of "knowing." Maybe she had chosen the same answer as I when she didn't have laugh lines around her eyes and smile. Now, being in her shoes, I will tell you what she did not have the nerve to tell me. _

_ You will have many choices in your youthful life. Simple questions like, will you wake up early today, or sleep in to the chirping birds out the window? There will also be difficult answers you must choose. Today will you give up your whole existence for another in a blink of an eye? In this world, the human domain has become tangled and knotted. So many holes, and not enough pieces to fill them. Within these holes evil has grown in the shadows, and who will save us from this destruction? Who will step up to such a responsibility, and take upon their shoulders the Universe? _

_ Through my travels, I have discovered that there is a handful of those who are willing. However, only a few of those in my hand have the power to save us. They wield a source seen to all, but not truly known by all. This potential energy has shown through out history to start wars, and win wars. It can make a country prosper to the heavens, and it can make it suffer to the depths of hell. One can use it to break families apart, but also contains the same ability to glue one together. It can push a person so far as to give up one's will, and to sacrifice one's life. This immeasurable power goes by the universal name of Love._

_ I have sought out two beings who must question their own ability to love, as well as ask upon one another to accept a fate – their path down river. In the end I believe they will be victorious, although it has yet to be revealed what their life force and love will do for the future and life balance of the Galaxy. _

_ - Anonymous_

Princess Serenity knelt down and smelled a nearby red rose with the morning dew still clinging onto the pedals. She had been waiting for more than an hour for her sailor soldiers to join her in the Moon Palace Gardens, but remembering that patience was a sign of a good leader she wasn't going to complain. On the more positive side, the weather was warm, and there was a slight breeze from the west. Wispy white cotton clouds filled the sky, and the surrounding greenery helped her mind stay at bay from the growing anxiety at the bottom of her chest. Serenity continued walking down the stone path towards the old green house that had been remodeled into a parlor. Entering the glass dome, the rich amber air touched her skin and adorned it with its scent of vanilla and a mix of lily. While situating herself on a seat pad in front of a mosaic table, Rei and Makoto walked in discussing the new fighting tactics the new recruits would be learning. Seconds later Mina strutted in holding the latest fashion magazine pointing out models to a flustered Ami. It had become old news that Ami was never wearing stylish clothing to court, and Mina was always trying to drag her to the mall every few weeks.

Finally, everyone was seated and tea was served. Private conversations ceased. The relaxed and calm expression on Princess Serenity's face faded, and was replaced with the seriousness of the information she was told earlier that morning.

"The first thing on today's agenda is going to be quite a surprise to everyone. The day we have been dreading has finally come. The Queen, my mother, has finally announced the day for the 'visit'."

Shock, surprise, and confusion spread across the young girls' faces. Tea cups stood frozen in mid-air.

"No.. not yet! It can't be, you have just come of age only a week ago!" exclaimed Mina popping off of her cushion. Regaining balance she asked, "What did you say? I can't believe the council is actually going through with it! The paparazzi is going to have a field day!"

"I felt like I knew pebbles were falling from the sky, and then it turned out to be a boulder smashing me into the ground. I was expecting her to ask about the upcoming banquets, or how my studies have been coming along," replied the Princess. Taking a deep breath, and slowly exhaling she continued. No use acting like a crazed teen, it was time for her to grow up.

"It makes sense though. Now that I have had time to reason with my sanity. The rumors we have been hearing that terms with the Earth Kingdom have been shaky are quite closer to the truth then we had imagined. Our people's support for the alliance have been dwindling, and in the next years to come trade and commerce might deplete completely. This would be detrimental to all the systems in this Galaxy, and so the Queen and the council have decided to push the date forward, and to have me meet him."

"How soon are they planning to move it? I mean, how can they expect you to marry the Prince of the Earth Kingdom if you don't even know him?" asked Rei. "You haven't even seen a picture of the royal highness! I can just picture it now how the court will be buzzing with this news. Sending off the only daughter of the King to a foreign land just a few weeks after her 18th birthday. It is absolutely absurd."

"You all must stay calm, for my sake. You can all stay rest assured, the council doesn't plan to jump ahead to a wedding. They are trying to be somewhat fair, if we could call it that. I'm sure the Prince isn't happy with the situation either. We've all heard the rumors about his non-traditional opinions on the subject of love. He will not accept this marriage easily. Anyway, the matter is out of our jurisdiction. The date has been set to depart in two days for the Earth Kingdom." The Princess crossed her legs, and moved her cold tea cup to the right. This was a common habit that the Princess was done discussing the topic at hand.

The council was a ruthless bunch of old royals. They grew up privileged, and thought they knew best for the Kingdom, and for the royal family. As much as Serenity wanted to have nothing to do with them, at least she could use their appeal to the public to her advantage for more time.

Ami meekly raised her teacup to her lips. She couldn't hold back her pertinent information any longer.

"My lady, I have something to confess. I actually knew all about today; even before you did. I had glimpsed at correspondence notes while I was making my usual rounds through the network, and caught a glimpse of the dispute. As you know, I like to keep myself busy, and I've been working on a plan. Unfortunately, I have been interrupted by Mina trying to dress me like the next Moon Doll, but I think it will be quite useful." Ami gave a side-ward demeaning glare in Mina's direction.

"It isn't my fault that I'm just trying to help you stay attractive for the bachelors at the social events we must attend. You are always too busy with your nose stuck in a book or on the web," Mina retorted.

"I'm not outright blaming you, I am actually about to thank you since you are the one who gave me the ingenious idea." Everyone started leaning towards the edge of their seat. How could anybody come up with a way to get out of the mess of an arranged marriage? Nobody had escape, no matter how hard they tried.

"Go on Ami, I am listening" Princess Serenity said with a raised eyebrow.

"Out of all the sailor soldiers, who do you think resembles you the most physically?" Ami waited a few moments for all the soldiers to ponder her question. "As I calculate, you all chose Mina. She isn't identical, but she could pass off as you. Especially if the Prince has only seen pictures of you, if he has seen anything at all."

"What are you trying to suggest?"

"What I am trying to say, your highness, is that you should switch places with Mina for the trip to the Earth Kingdom. This way you can see how the Prince acts, because he won't be treating you as the Princess, but Mina as one."

Princess Serenity's famous moon hair buns moved left to right with her head as she contemplated this idea. _Would it work? This Prince could be stuck up and a complete chauvinist. That is what she always read about men in the Earth books, and watched in Earth dramas. They had no respect for women. It seemed that the women were always vying for the man's respect and opinion. This idea could work, and this would at least let her look around the Earth Palace as well as the city itself without all the attention of the royal court._

"It seems that Ami has given me the exact solution to our dilemma! I know I didn't give a lot of my time to thinking about this, but I don't have anytime to spend. We will start preparing Ami's plan immediately. There is a lot to do in the next two days if we are to be prepared for this 'boy' and his guardians."

A smile spread across Serenity's face. This trip wasn't going to be as bad she originally thought, it could actually be quite entertaining.

* * *

The guardians to the Prince of Earth had gathered in the royal library. They met there every morning at 9 am sharp to discuss the day's events as well as any gossip the Prince would be curious about. Zoisite was at the piano trying to finish his latest composition; Jadeite was inspecting and polishing his sword; Nephrite was sitting in his usual chair by the window staring at the passing clouds; and Kunzite was studying war tactics from a book he randomly picked from the shelves. All this was happening while the Prince was still in his bed lying on top of his covers with his eyes completely closed.

Sweat coated Endymion's whole body, and his head was filled with the hangover caused by last night's excursions. He barely remembered how he was able to make the journey back to his bed. Flashes of green velvet hallways, and his door were all that he could remember. Rolling over to look at the clock, the numbers resembled something way past the time he should have awoken. His guardians would be upset, but this was not unusual, they would just have to cope. They were his after all.

Groaning he turned to the other side of the bed. He sat up, and started looking around the room trying to focus his eyes. Rubbing them, he was able to get rid of the dryness and swollen feeling from his face. The room slowly became recognizable. Sort of. Everything was a mess! What had he been doing last night? Pants on the floor, and boxers on the doorknob. _Oh-no, something happened last night that shouldn't have, _he thought as he sat in his bed, tangled in his sheets. He couldn't even conjure a complete image of last night – and that wasn't good. A knock, which sounded like a sledgehammer hitting concrete, came from the door.

"Sir, it is time to get up. Your guardians are waiting in the library for you."

That would be his butler. Endymion got out of bed and started collecting items from around the room. Endymion quickly showered and dressed himself in his least formal attire, sweat pants and a worn t-shirt. Checking himself once over in the mirror he saw his usual reflection stare back at him. He still had the same broad shoulders, dark raven hair, and gray blue eyes. He considered himself in shape, but never wore the clothes to show it. Working out was the only thing he could do to keep his mind off his mother who passed away five years ago. Endymion returned to his room to try once again to remember anything at all, but nothing came to mind. He was too late to piece any of it out, and the whole situation was put on the back-burner for later. Maybe he could check his pockets for some evidence. Making his way out of the room, he headed down the palace halls toward the library.

"Looks like the Prince decided to grace us with his presence" announced Nephrite still gazing out the window. The piano playing stopped, book and sword set down.

"Good morning!" Endymion flashed his 'I know I did something bad' smile. "We have a lot to do today I'm guessing?" turning in Jadeite's direction. He was in charge of the day's schedule.

"Actually, we do. Have you heard the news yet? Looking at you, I'm assuming you haven't."

Scrunching his brows together Endymion replied, "If I had known such news, I would have brought it up. Why? What could have happened over one night?"

"You will have to put your other 'interests' on hold I'm afraid. The Moon Kingdom Princess is arriving tomorrow along with her four Sailor Soldiers. Your arranged marriage has been pushed forward by the King as of last night" Jadeite glanced at his notes; not wanting to make eye contact with the Prince.

Trying to zone out his enormous headache, and stay calm, the Prince took a seat in the leather chair closest to him. "Hmm... well it was bound to happen. I guess we could just call her 'fresh meat', but we all know what is happening this weekend, and I can't have that interrupted. So we will have to go with plan B, like we usually do when officials visit and I must be away.

"Prince! This is your future wife we are talking about, not just some ambassador from a visiting planet. You need to take this seriously" exclaimed Kunzite.

"I am taking everything seriously. Do you think a spoiled Princess is going to take priority over the project I've been working on since I was granted power from my father?" Raising an eyebrow, he stood back up and grabbed a snow globe of earth sitting on a nearby desk, a common habit of the Prince when he was in deep thought. The soldiers were silent. "Kunzite, you will take my place while the Princess and her companions are here. We will give them a tour, we will feed them, we will treat them like royalty, but that is all. Do you understand?"

The guardian nodded back, and slowly everyone returned to their activities. The Prince set down the snow globe, and sat back in his seat. Everyone knew the Prince had a hangover, and it was no use arguing with him until that evening.

However, that evening the Prince was nowhere to be found and the palace was too busy getting ready for the new arrivals to spare time to talk about such things.

* * *

Mina came out of the closet clothed in the royal dress that she would wear as the Princess. Serenity turned her finger in the air motioning for Mina to turn around for her. Mina's backside was not as toned as Serenity's and her shoulders were broader, but none-the less it would have to do. Mina was sent back into the closet, and Serenity turned towards her mom's messenger who had just walked into the room.

"What can I do for you?" questioned the Princess.

"The Queen is asking for your presence in her quarters as soon as you have the free time."

"Is that all?"

"Yes Princess." The man bowed and left the room.

What else did her mother have to add to the crazy day of events? Princess Serenity left a note for Mina on the table, and headed towards her mother's quarters.

"Serenity! I didn't expect you to come so quickly." The Queen rose to give her daughter a warm embrace. "I've heard that you've been busy trying on clothes, and making it look like we are going to war. Are you planning on giving away some of your garments?" the queen asked taking a seat and sipping a glass of water.

Those nosy servants. They must have been eaves dropping for her mom, and it seems they had been reporting on her. Serenity would keep her cards concealed until her mother forced her hand.

"You could say we are preparing for war, but we are just... trying to figure out what we should wear to the Earth Kingdom. I want to look my best for that stuck up Prince and all." It wouldn't hurt to throw some sarcasm in there, it's not like her mom thought she was ready for marriage anyways.

"You've always had a bite of whit on the end of your tongue. I simply don't see what the problem is with your generation these days. All the people your age think that true love will conquer all, and that you will eventually meet your soul mate. You must learn Serenity! That is not how the world works. I'm going to have to send the guards to clear out all those crazed fortune tellers and psychics if they are ruining our youth."

"Mother, I've heard you say that a thousand times" taking a seat next to the Queen. The Queen picked up an album, and opened it. This album was very familiar to Serenity. It was filled of pictures from her childhood. Her mother knew how to push her buttons.

"Mom, many things have changed since your time. People are living longer, and the young adults are expected to deal with the reality of the world earlier. You always say, 'We are just human, but we will always have free will.' Just last week at a college you spoke of 'all are equal.' How can you expect me to fall in love with a man I don't even know? I mean, we will be running two of the most powerful governments in the Galaxy. Don't you think we should at least have some sort of affection for each other before we marry?"

"Serenity, nothing has changed. I had an arranged marriage with your father." She ran her finger over the King's face as if she could actually reach out and caress his cheek with her own hand. "I loved your father very much. Of course this didn't come until later, but he was a caring man. He was fair, level-headed, his ideals just, and most of all he gave me you. Don't you see; I am only trying to look out for you? Serenity, we are royal. We are not the people. We are treated with riches and respect, but in return we must serve the people. This marriage is for the good of the people." She looked deep into Serenity's blue sky eyes. The eyes Serenity received from her father.

"You say father was a good ruler, but what if this Prince of Earth isn't? You haven't even met him yet. He could become a tyrant! Can't I have some say if I want no part in this marriage?"

"I have met this boy. We were introduced a few years before you were born. Endymion was a gentle boy, and he knew how to treat his superiors even though he was only four-years old. I have no qualms about his soul, and his intentions. Although, I will admit, a lot can change in 19 years. I know you will already try to use that in your argument. So I will make a deal with you my daughter. If you find this Prince unworthy of ruling a Kingdom, then you must present proof, and I will reconsider this marriage."

"Mother, I don't think I have ever loved you more!" Serenity jumped up and hugged her mother. Her gesture was sent back with only a smile, and a pat on the back. The Queen could never deal with her daughter being upset.

"There must be proof though. No proof, no cancellation of this wedding."

"Of course mother" Serenity left the room to spread the word to her soldiers. It wouldn't be that hard to find evidence of a bad ruler. Especially if she wasn't even going as herself.

Mina's hair was being pulled this way and that. It felt like there wouldn't be a hair left on her head after this hair-do. _How does the Princess do this every day?_ She thought. Make-up had been applied an hour earlier, and she still had to put on the royal dress laid out on the bed. Serenity's side of the plan wasn't half as hard as hers. All she had to do was put her hair up in a high ponytail, and dress herself in Mina's sailor soldier uniform.

Endymion straightened his silver jacket._ Who had come up with this ridiculous plan to dress up as a guardian? Oh-ya, his_. How could he have been so dumb, this would never work. Kunzite had long, almost white hair, and he had to be a few inches taller. The whole staff had been told about the change happening over the next few days, but how were they going to be able to trick the Princess? If she didn't notice, then she truly had to be dumb, or she never read up on her history of the Earth Kingdom. Which would mean she was ignorant, or she was just plain lazy. How pitiful. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her. That was Kunzite's job from here on out. Why should he doubt himself? Everything was going to work out just fine.

* * *

There was no time for anxious pacing when the Princess and her soldiers arrived. The Earth palace had just finished the final preparations for their arrival while Endymion was walking down the staircase toward the welcoming area at the door with his guardians. Kunzite was still trying to straighten his tie, and the tie was being most stubborn indeed.

"Stop fusing with the bloody thing, nobody will notice! _Unless_ you keep fiddling with it," ordered Jadeite.

"I know, I know!" Kunzite put his hands by his side, and tried his best to replace his stressed face with a calm gentleman's look. He was still worried that he wouldn't make it through the next three days courting the Princess. He was trained to protect the Prince, not woo a lady. Why couldn't one of the other guardians have taken the Prince's place, they all new he had no luck with the ladies.

The bell announcing the guests' arrival rang, and the main hall went silent. The void was quickly filled with anxiety and stress. The five ladies strode in through the large wide doors. Princess Serenity, Mina, led her soldiers into the open area with grace and prestige. She examined the guardians and Prince from head to toe. The Prince was broad shouldered, and he looked wary but bold in his suit. His hair was so long that it passed his shoulder and was as white as snow. _Hello handsome!_ But she had to keep herself from making her immediate attraction to the man so apparent. The lie would be uncovered if she slipped up too easily.

Kunzite looked straight into the Princess's eyes. He always believed that eyes revealed what made up the soul. From what he could tell the Princess's eyes were kind, but something in them made him concerned. Something was not right. Maybe she felt out of place? She was visiting a new planet after all. Plus, she was still young. _Young... and gorgeous._ Her body type was just how he imagined it would be. She was built strong like a warrior, yet she was delicate like a dancer. She was wearing a white gown that was tight in the upper torso and waist, but then flowed around her legs. Her hair was down in loose blonde curls, and her crescent moon shined from the light streaming in from the windows. The Prince made a deep bow and welcomed the girls to the Earth Kingdom. The guardians followed with their own bows and greetings, and the Princess and her soldiers responded with curtsies and gratitude.

Endymion's eyes quickly drifted from the Princess to the soldiers, and then to the tile work on the floor. The counting of tiles had started. 1... 2... 3... He just wanted the next few days to run by. The Princess looked 'plain' and he could tell she was trying to impress the Prince because her mother had ordered her to. All this to make an alliance 'yadda yadda yadda' ..4 ..5 ..6.

Serenity glanced around the great hall with speculation and wonder. Greek pillars lined the hall. They looked like it kept the ceiling from falling in on them, but they were so tall she wondered how the staff cleaned cobwebs all the way up there. Her eyes then shifted to the large windows. They reached just as high as the pillars, and they were so clear she almost had thought there was nothing there. The architecture interested her. She hadn't read anything that suggested that Earth had acquired any magical abilities yet, so how did they build such a palace? Much less keep it clean and stable. Her eyes finally looked towards the bowing Prince. Mmm... he could fulfill the "Whole Package" look, but she was already more fascinated with the building instead of the people in it. That had to be a sign. Looking to the real Venus she noticed her gaze. She knew that look all too well. Venus had already set her eyes on the Prince and was probably undressing him by now.

"Ladies! We have planned a tour of the Palace grounds, but I am sure you are all tired from the trip here. So instead we will show you to your rooms to unpack and rest. Following will be a short tour of the grounds, and then dinner" announced Nephrite.

Kunzite took a step towards the Princess. _Why was his heart beating so fast? Odd, he wasn't expecting his body to act this way towards her! She wasn't even his! Breathe Kunzite!_ He took another step, and his body was back to 100% functionality. He offered her his arm, she of course accepted, and they walked towards their rooms with guardians and soldiers following close behind.

All the halls were as tall as the entrance was, but narrower. Pieces of art lined the hallways, and through every window was the perfect scene of the gardens surrounding the palace. Serenity and her guardians were escorted to two large doors made out of what looked like jade. The doors were pushed open, and they were welcomed with a gigantic room in the shape of a octagon. There was wood flooring with silk oriental rugs. Vintage chairs, bookcases, and anything else you could think of to keep a girl satisfied were situated around the large space. Roses were in all the vases around the room, and a wall sized mirror rested against one side of the octagon room. There was also another unique thing about this room, as the Prince explained to the ladies while pointing up. Following his finger you could see the ceiling was made completely out of glass. You could see the clouds during the day, and the stars and moon at night. From the lounging room there were five doors connected to individual rooms. Inside of these, were Queen sized beds, a huge walk-in closet.. not that the girls brought enough clothes to actually fill them.. and another door that lead to the bathrooms. Once again, roses filled all these rooms. Serenity was curious to know if the Prince knew if these were her favorite flowers. _Was he trying to win her over already? Roses would not attract a Princess's heart so easily!_

The Prince and his guardians finally left the Princess and her soldiers to themselves. Serenity quickly slipped out of Venus's uniform. Her guardians were all unpacking or trying to take a nap.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rei questioned Serenity.

"You can't expect me to stay here the rest of the day? The 'Princess's soldier' has got to scout out the grounds as well as the city!" Serenity replied opening the jade door. "And... while I"m gone, will you please tell Mina not to act so nice towards the Prince. I don't want him thinking he's winning the battle or anything." She closed the door behind her, and tried to remember how to exit from the labyrinth of halls. She made sure to cover her crescent moon, and to wear casual commoner clothing, which included a hooded cape as her disguise.

Endymion had one leg swinging over the railing of the patio outside his bedroom. His hand grasped for the large willow tree branch readying his body for the transfer of weight. After crawling a ways down, and jumping onto the neatly mowed grass he headed for the gates. Just like Serenity, he too was disguised in case he bumped into any unwanted onlookers. He already had wasted enough time in the Palace over the past few days. It was time to run a few errands and to get his mind cleared of the marriage that would probably trap and eventually smother the remainder of his life.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of _Seeking Love_. I have actually been working on this fanfic since 2000. I keep revising and revising. Any reviews (positive or negative) are always helpful. This chapter was setting up the outline for the story, and you can expect much more to come in the following chapters.

Thank you for reading :D


	2. Chapter 2

Seeking Love

Chapter 2

The capital city of the Earth Kingdom consisted of five circles. The inner ring contained the palace as well as any royal families. A tall stone wall marked the boundaries of each area, and only by going through guarded gates could you enter or exit through the rings. The next circle consisted of the high class and artisans with shops that sold high priced and finely made goods. The third circle is where there was a mixture of middle and lower class. Here was where traditional festivals were held, and big markets as well as street stalls were set up. This is where Serenity found herself after she successfully escaped the palace. Guards weren't too concerned about who was exiting as much as for who was entering. Outside of the third ring was where the poor were housed. This was the largest circle, and then the last ring consisted of the battlements and guards who protect the Capital.

Serenity again was in awe with the architecture of the Earth Kingdom. It was quite different then what she had imagined it to be. She had heard so many rumors about their barbaric ways, but from what she could see this was not the case. Walking in the third circle she noticed a huddle of kids playing a game with white and black pebbles. Their laughs, smiles, and shouts brought a smile to her face. Passing them, there looked to be a farmers market where spices started to fill her nose. It was a busy day for merchants and buyers alike. People were crowded around every stall trying to bargain for supplies, food, and other goods. Serenity 'window shopped' and saw a few things that she knew her friends would love. Why not get them something from the Earth Kingdom? They did let her go out on her own, and they would have to have some proof that she didn't get herself into trouble.

"Excuse me sir, how much do you want for this?" Serenity asked while pointing towards a sale cart. The bargaining had begun, as well as the gaining weight in her bag she had brought with her. By the end of an hour she felt like she just finished sparring practice. Plus, her feet were killing her; she swore some man rolled his cart full of melons over her toes.

Trying to ignore the pain from her body, she finally relented and searched for a place to sit down and take a break. Exiting the bustle of the market, she walked around until she found an open square with a huge fountain at its center. No bench could be found, but that didn't stop Serenity from finding a place to sit. She walked straight to the fountain's edge. She could feel the refreshing mist start to erase the exhaustion from her body. Sitting, she took off her shoes and placed her feet right into the cool water. There weren't many people around, and it wasn't like there were signs telling her not to. Looking at her bag, she noticed that the seems were bulging – it was almost overflowing. She had encountered ear to ear grinning sellers to fierce eyed magicians in the market. Serenity eventually found items she thought were acceptable as gifts. The new contents in her bag consisted of perfumes, jewelry, fabric, and even a few books.

"You know it is considered bad luck to put your feet into this fountain don't you?" a deep voice said.

With a puzzled look on her face she looked around for who had spoken out to her. A man in his early 20s walked from around the other side and stood next to her. He was handsome, and his voice resounded warm and smooth. Serenity quickly picked her feet up and started drying them with her cloak. She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks.

"Don't be embarrassed. I don't think the bad luck will catch up to you too soon," he gave her a smile and sat next to her. "You must not be from around here. Everyone hears as a child that this fountains brings bad luck. That is why there aren't many people in this square." A seriousness entered his eyes, but vanished as quickly as it came.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't know." Serenity reached to grab her shoes to place them back onto her feet.

"Actually, it seems that I don't know a lot of things about this odd city." Her hands were fumbling all over the place. She felt like they were being controlled by some other worldly force, and she simply couldn't get her shoes back on. While a growing mixture of frustration and embarrassment grew inside of her, she also tried to keep her face hidden from the stranger. It probably looked like a tomato!

"Don't worry," the man shared a reassuring smile. He bent and grabbed hold of the shoe in her hand. His hands were soft, but not flawless. He placed the shoe upon her feet, and started to tie the laces. "Many visitors make the same mistake. Usually nobody says anything. Usually I don't even talk to them, but for some reason you caught my eye." He gave her a glance of curiosity. Noticing her shyness he looked away towards the flowing water. "I think it is because we don't get many blondes on this planet, it is a very rare hair color."

_ How was she supposed to respond to that?_ "Umm... I was just resting here. I've been walking a great deal today. You see, I arrived this morning, and I took on a bigger adventure than I bargained for." _Act casual, act normal. _She kept repeating this in her head. He was now working on the other shoe.

"I see you've already been to the weekly farmers market," giving a nod towards her bag. "It can be quite the trek just to walk through that area, buying or not.

"It would seem so." She finally had the courage to look up and try to give the man a decent smile.

Grumble... Grumble..

The stranger gave her a look of concern and then understanding.

"You, young lady, are hungry" he gave a small chuckle.

"Mmm.. maybe I am" Serenity replied, a sheepish grin on her face.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day miss? I could show you around, and show you some of the most delectable food that I promise will satisfy that stomach of yours."

"The only plans I have as of now, I guess, are to 'obey' my stomach, and go eat. So your offer is much appreciated."

"Alright then! Follow me!" He offered her his hand. "Don't worry, the place we're going isn't far." He was bold in asking to hold her hand, but he had already put on her shoes. _Maybe people on Earth have less qualms about personal space_, Serenity thought. _Or this guy is totally flirting with me,_ she smiled to herself, and took hold of his hand. This was more than an adventure, and she had never done anything like this at court. She was following a stranger she had only met minutes ago at a bad luck fountain! She could just picture now what Rei or Mina would be yelling at her right now for. However, the man's dark raven hair, sweet smile, and mysterious eyes made Serenity blush whenever she got the courage to look at them, and who could say no to that.

* * *

Ever since Endymion could walk, he had always loved the ocean. The waves bonding against the shore, and the sound of the water splashing on the rocks filled his ears. The seagulls, and the way the sun reflected on the water when it dipped into the vast ocean always mesmerized him. Maybe this is why he never cared for the moon since it always looked so cold and desolate. It replaced the warmth of the sun with its lonely self. Plus, the white rock probably didn't even have an ocean! Nope, the moon could not possibly have an ocean. It was a rock trying to pass off being called a planet.

Endymion had rolled up his pants to his knees, and started pushing his feet deep into the wet sand. The waves came in hugging his ankles and buried his feet even further. It was refreshing, and what he'd been waiting for all day. He always sparred as much time as he could to be outside of the palace walls, and out here in the lullabying sea. Eventually, thoughts of finishing errands overran his peaceful mood.

Walking back to the wall, he quickly found the lever hidden under ivy that had been growing up the side of the rocks. A secret passage opened, and cool air passed his face and blew through his hair. Walking through the tunnel, he exited at the third circle. Turning a corner, he saw something that made him quite curious. A young lady all by herself stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't that she was alone, there were plenty of ladies walking alone during the day, but this woman had this glow about her that immediately made him anxious to know more! For one, there was never anybody in this section of the circle, and this girl conjured long forgotten memories. His errands could be put off a bit longer.

After grabbing her attention, which wasn't hard for him, he started a conversation, and finally swayed her to spend a part of the day with him. She had smooth milk skin, deep blue eyes, plump pink lips, and her hair was long and wavy. He wanted to run his fingers through it. He had only seen something like it once, and that was from his childhood and teenage years. It flowed around her shoulders and down her back like a waterfall. It also reminded him of one of his favorite things, because her hair was the color of the sun, bright and burning reddish orange. Full of life and happiness, which is exactly what he needed right now.

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Like the twist? I know you were probably like, "Yeah! They both meet each other after they leave the castle, but nope... that would just be too obvious. Trust me, the drama is just starting. Please leave a review or comment.

Thank you for reading chapter 2 of _Seeking Love_ :D


	3. Chapter 3

Seeking Love

Chapter 3

Serenity tossed a ping-pong sized chocolate ball into her open mouth. It melted instantly against her warm tongue, and made her taste buds tingle. The yummy treats originated on the planet from an area called France, and they were called truffles – they were absolutely delicious. Earlier she had eaten a pasta dish that had a thick and rich cream sauce she knew she'd be requesting when she made it back home.

The dark haired man had introduced himself as Takeshi, and in return the Princess told him her name was Serena. It wasn't a complete lie, because her friends use to call her that before they found out she had royal blood. After formal introductions, talking hadn't ceased. A second hadn't gone to waste, and time was flying by. They moved from introductions, to politics, and a few childhood memories. Takeshi was the type of guy who knew exactly what to say at the exactly right time. He wasn't the type to let his opinions be pushed around by a girl, but he was very diplomatic about his arguments if he didn't agree with Serenity on topics. He was quickly winning Serenity over, he resembled a lot of what she remembered of her father. She kept her walls up, but the guards were on snooze. She was surprised she was able to feel so comfortable with a stranger. Never had she bonded with someone as quickly as Takeshi, not even her sailor scouts.

Takeshi suggested during their meal that they go see one of the gardens in the second ring. There was a tea leaf garden, flowers, and other cultured plants that he promised she would enjoy. She doubted this, since the gardens on Earth could never outmatch the Moons', but she was willing to give it a look. After all, how could she resist the handsome face that belonged to the man sitting across the table gazing at her.

* * *

"Most of my friends call me Natsumi," said the woman Endymion had been taking a stroll with. She had a very deep tan so he guessed that she spent a lot of her time outdoors. This would also make the possibility that she belonged to a royal family very slim. Odd enough, Endymion was still attracted to this different and rare gem. The two new acquaintances still had no idea where they were going, and it seemed that they were going to end up walking a complete circle inside the third ring.

"You can call me Mamoru," he replied. He was trying to keep from smiling like an idiot, yet a corner of his mouth lifted. "Umm.. your name fits you quite well. It comes from 'summer' and 'beautiful' does it not?"

"Yes, it is! Not many people know that" she said with a sweet smile.

"I've taken a few anthropology classes. So I can usually tell a lot about a person from small bits of information?"

"So can you guess where I'm from?"

"That's not too hard. Based on the way you talk, and how you walk, I'd bet you were born on Earth. Although, I don't think you were born here at the capital, but maybe have been living here for a few years."

"Wow, you are good, but not that good. I was born here, and some distant relatives live here. I didn't grow up here though. I don't want to bore you with my childhood, but yes – I came back here to finish school. Somehow I ended up staying past my graduation date, and got stuck here working."

"So you are a university student. What did you study?"

"I studied a lot of things, but couldn't end up choosing one thing. That whole part of my life is sort of a gray area. Are you from here?"

Endymion noticed she was quick to change the subject. Maybe that was more then just a gray area, and a big sore spot. Best to leave it alone, that's what he learned from past girlfriends.

"I have lived here my whole life actually. Although, I seem to travel a lot, but family issues have kept me here on Earth. I also will add, gray areas are fine with me since I have a few myself. I believe what is most important is what we are doing today and now. Living in the moment is what my mom use to tell me."

"Okay.. well then I will share a bit more of myself. I was born before the forth and fifth rings were built. At the age of seven I was sent away because my family was going to be pushed out of the protection of the Kingdom, because there wasn't enough room to house everyone. Ever since we've just been a hard working family, and moving every couple years since. My grandparents still live here, but they are very sick, so I've come back to take care of them."

Endymion was about ten when the new rings were being built, so that placed him a few years older than her. He still remembered the devastation the capital went through when the royal court was forced to make the law that people who couldn't pay the tax had to pushed outside of the rings. There wasn't much they could do about the financial situation, but it was still a scar on Earth history.

Natsumi continued, "This place has changed a lot since I was a little girl. I can still remember the annual Spring festival. I always use to look forward to that. A time to embrace new life, and the warmth of the sun."

"The Spring festival, that was one of my favorite times as well. It is tomorrow! We should celebrate. Unless..." Endymion was apprehensive about asking her so quickly after they first met, "...you already have plans."

She laughed in his embarrassment. "I have no plans tomorrow, and it would be nice to have company on such a rejoicing day."

Endymion was happy she said yes. Natsumi was definitely not part of a royal family, and since she hadn't grown up in the capitals walls, she wouldn't be able to recognize him as the Prince.

"See you tomorrow then!" Endymion said to Natsumi as she was turning to leave. She waved back to him. What had overcome him? He would never have acted like this in the past? His mind traveled back to why he originally was outside the palace, it was time to finish his errands.

* * *

Walking under an arched doorway with Takeshi, Serenity started catching whiffs of the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. There were pink flowered trees lining the walkway towards a large glass house. Takeshi had explained that it was a green house, but it looked more like a fragile piece of art more than a place to house plants. There were domes, and colored glass making a mural of couples dancing. If you spun in a circle, it gave the illusion that they were dancing across the walls in the fields of greenery.

"So you never mentioned why you came to the Earth Kingdom?" asked Takeshi.

"...you could say I came for family business."

"Being secretive are we? I can deal with that." Takeshi shifted his eyebrows making a funny but cute face.

"I'm not being secretive!" Serenity crossed her arms and made a pout with her lips. She felt like a teenager again, only a adolescent girl.

"Don't be that way. I was only teasing you. Millions of people come here to take a vacation.. meet a few people... meet a guy for instance."

The image of the Prince of Earth floated in Serenity's mind. _Don't remind me!_ "You must be talking about yourself. Are you here to meet a guy?"

A smile spread on Takeshi's face, and he let out a laugh. "You are quite the young lady. I like a girl who can hold her own. And no, I am here for real business if you must know. I actually owe one of my friends a debt you see, and so I decided to come and finally pay it off."

"A debt. I don't know how I feel about hanging out with a guy who is in debt. It could be dangerous right?"

"Very dangerous, but you don't have to worry. I'll make sure none of those type of guys get too close to you." He held up an arm trying to show off his arms.

They had made it through half of the garden, and they came to a plaque that talked about the Mural. "Hey Takeshi, that mural we saw earlier.. there's a story behind it."

"Of course there is a story. There's a legend about everything here on Earth. The mural in particular though, is one of the most prized possessions of the this land. A famous artist was commissioned to create it after the long war between two feuding lands here on Earth back in the 17th century. The piece is called _The Last Dance_. Would you like me to tell you the story?"

"Hearing of another country's history is never boring to my ears. Go ahead."

_ Once upon a time there were two kingdoms separated by a river. The two kings had been at war with one another since they were appointed power, for they were brothers. Many lives were lost on both sides, and the most saddening part is that the two kingdoms use to be of the same people. Thus, they shared the same blood, the same traditions, and the same way of life. One very special tradition was the Spring Festival, and on this day – fighting ceased. The festival celebrated the coming of new life, and was the one day of rest out of the whole year for all the people. _

_Well – the Prince of one kingdom became very curious of the festival happening in the other kingdom. He had heard rumors since he was a child that they had dancing dragons, and his kingdom's festival never had anything so extravagant. So he snuck across the river in disguise, and it so happened that he ran into the Princess of that kingdom, and they ended up dancing all night long. Of course, neither knew of the others identity. Everyone celebrated, even in this dark time of war, and eventually everyone fell asleep from the spirits and the excitement._

_In the morning, troops started to prepare to head back out to the battlements, but the Princess stood in front of them. They asked her, "Princess, what is the meaning of this?" and she explained that she woke up to find the Prince of the enemy lying next to her. He was no different then her closest of kin, and had come to the conclusion that there was no need to fight. The King of course was not happy with his daughter's outburst, but being the level-headed ruler that he was, he put the Prince to a test. _

_He first asked him to acquire an item that his forefathers and father before them all owned. The Prince came back the next day to court. It looked like he had failed, but the boy reached into his pocket and withdrew a rock. This is a rock from our lands, a piece of the people and their fathers before them. The King wasn't satisfied, and said that the test was not over, he couldn't let this young man win over his daughter's heart so easily. He told the Prince that he had to collect the life flowing through each person of both lands without spilling any blood. This the Prince had to ponder, but he quickly returned to the King. He brought back a chalice filled with the river that ran between the two Kingdoms. This is the source of life that sustains us all, and it is what connects us with one another. _

_On that day, the war stopped. The King had announced that if such a Prince had grown to be so wise at such a young age, there had to be some way for the two Kingdoms to rejoin and rejoice together. Discussions of peace pursued, and the two lands agreed on a truths. They became trading partners, and the two pieces became parts of a whole. The deaths of all those who fought in the war were mourned, and it was said that the Prince and Princess eventually married. _

"So you see Serena, this is why the Spring Festival is still celebrated every year. It is a reminder of those who were lost, and remembering why we must not hastily turn against our brothers and sisters looking for war."

The two were now walking through the green house looking like quite the couple. Serenity's nose was filled with all sorts of scents, but surprisingly none of them clashed with the other. Every couple steps she took, the scents would slowly merge and transform into something new and intriguing. Not only were the smells soothing her mind, but the plants were a wonder in themselves. Some were tall enough to reach the ceiling, and one even transformed it's shape into neighboring plants. Others changed colors, or even sparkled like crystal rock. Serenity's favorite was one that seemed to hug your finger if you petted its petals. They continued through a tea garden, and then stopped at a small gift shop. Here there were various mixtures of liquids made out of the plants that had medicinal or magical qualities to them. Serenity picked up a bottle, and it looked strangely familiar. It was the same perfume she had bought earlier at the market for Mina.

_ Mina! Oh-no! What time was it?_ She thought alarmingly. "Takeshi, I haven't been paying attention to the time, but I've really got to go!"

"You have to leave already?" he made a disappointed puppy face.

"Yes, unfortunately. I'm sorry. I made a promise to meet back up with my friends. But.. we could do something tomorrow?"

A smile returned to his face. "Okay. You better be prepared to promise to that. Are you free tomorrow evening?"

"I believe I am, but I'm not completely sure what my plans are tomorrow."

"Well, will you meet me at the docks at seven?"

"Okay, I promise to be there if I can." She decided to be as bold as Takeshi was earlier, and she stepped towards him leaning in to give him a hug. "I've got to go now though."

"Okay. I will see you tomorrow pretty little lady." Takeshi bent down and kissed her on top of her head covered in golden locks.

Serenity didn't feel his lips touch her head, but she could feel that there was a connection that she could not ignore between them. She quickly started to walk out of the gardens, and started into a slight jog. She didn't want to call too much attention to herself, but she wasn't going to hear the end of it from her soldiers.

The sun was starting to set, and she knew she was going to be in trouble for being back to the palace so late. She still needed to get through the next ring to enter the palace. Doubling her pace, she was caught up in a huge crowd on the main streets blocking her path to the gates. Making a quick decision, she decided to take one of the narrower paths back to the palace. Hopefully this short cut wouldn't get her into deeper trouble.

* * *

At this exact moment, Endymion had just finished talking to one of his close friends who was helping him finish errands. While saying good-bye a body rammed into him from behind. _What the hell? Did a merchant seriously just hit me with his cart?_ Turning around he saw nothing but an empty cobbled passageway... until he looked down towards his feet. A body sprawled on the ground covered in a large cloak was fumbling with a bag. _A thief? In the second ring? _He gestured for the body to take his hand, and delicate soft fingers reached up for his grasp.

"I'm sooo sorry! I'm in a hurry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Thanks!" and the stranger was rushing down the street again. He hadn't noticed any of the person's featured except for their eyes. He figured out that it had to be a woman. No man would have such clear, innocent, and blue eyes. Odd that someone like that would be wearing such a nasty old looking cloak. Those guards at the entrance gate were probably slacking off since the festival was tomorrow. The thoughts of the woman passed, and he started his way back to the palace. He had received a call from his guardian that dinner was about to start, and his presence was requested.

Serenity was able to slip in between a huge family procession towards the first ring. She had run into a few troubles on her way, but none too major. She just felt relief when she finally made it back into her room, and she was able to wash off all the sweat, dirt, and exhaustion from the day.

She had just finished drying her hair, and was picking out her clothes for the evening when her soldiers returned. They all had the glow of joy radiating from them. They looked a little too happy for having spent the last few hours taking a tour of a palace.

"So which one of you is going to tell me what you all are so smiling about?" Serenity questioned while sprawling onto her bed.

The soldiers looked at one another, and they all knew that it wouldn't make a difference who told the story of what happened earlier that day.

* * *

"Here is the Grand Library. We have every book ever in print from the last several centuries, as well as some antiques in the vault," announced the Prince while he led the group into the wide open space. There were four different levels in the library, and everything seemed to be made out of glass except of course the books. There were delicate designs of flowers, and geometric shapes etched into various faces of the glass on the bookcases, and the spiral staircases.

Ami stood in awe in the middle of the room; she had never seen anything this magnificent. The moons library was probably just as big, but she had spent so much time in there that it had become dull over the past years. The feeling of entering a whole new dimension captured all of Ami's senses.

Malachite looked at her amusingly. Nobody had ever looked at the Grand Library with such curiosity except for himself when he started his studies as a student. Flipping his long ponytail behind his shoulder, he immediately seized the moment to fill the empty answers to all of the questions speeding through Ami's mind. He continued to show her around the different sections of the room, as well share some of his favorite books.

Rei and Makoto had been challenged to a game of tennis with Jadeite and Nephrite; soldiers vs. generals. It was one of the most cunning and physically tiring games either side had played. After a long hour of grunting through just the first point, they took a welcomed break. Orange juice and water was brought out for the guardians and soldiers, and they joined Mina and the Prince under a large canopy on the lawn.

"I haven't played tennis in at least two years!" Makoto slumped down into her chair.

"It is quite the sport! You need a heart of steel, as well as a mind of a warrior. Tons of fast paced thinking mixed with strategic planning is always my type of game, " Nephrite said.

"Princess! You should ask the Queen to build a tennis court at the Palace. That would give us something new and entertaining to do!" suggested Rei.

"Oh, but I don't think you two would have as much fun without these fine opponents to play against." Mina responded.

"Who says we can't come visit the Moon every once in a while? We will most likely be visiting more due to the marriage," Kunzite added.

"Makoto's eyes brightened. "Now that would be a treat. I think there is a higher oxygen content in the atmosphere here then on the Moon. You won't be able to play as easily there, we will have the upper hand."

"Are you suggesting that we are going to be in need of a handicap Miss. Makoto?" asked Nephrite.

"Maybe, since you can't seem to keep up with us on your own planet," Makoto teased back.

"Looks like we've got some training to do Nephrite," Jadeite commented.

_ This is either good that we are all getting along so well, or very bad. I wish the Princess had stayed here!_, thought Mina. She was having a difficult time keeping her heart in its cage around the Prince. What was she going to do? The real Princess needed to return, and fast.

* * *

"I see. So you all had quite the eventful day. It pleases me that you all had a good time. I didn't want you all to suffer while I was out and about," Serenity said.

"You look a little too happy yourself... something happened that you aren't telling us," mused Mina.

"Spill it Princess!" ordered Rei.

A smile slowly crept onto Serenity's face. All the soldiers started pushing for more information, and Serenity spilled all the details of the man she was to spend tomorrow evening with. The soldiers were asking questions left and right.

"Calm down! I promise to tell you what happened... after we eat dinner. I still need to talk to the Prince and his guardians while I stay here. They can't think I'm neglecting our visit. That'd be just plain rude now wouldn't it?"

"Of course, of course. Lets go eat!" Makoto was interested in seeing how the cuisine was here. She was studying to be a chef after all.

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The story is slowly developing. I want to have a good base to start. Once again, thank you for reading. Please review :D


	4. Chapter 4

Seeking Love

Chapter 4

Endymion arrived at the Palace, and quickly showered himself off. He found his guardians already in the dining room. Zoisite was sitting at the head of the table, and an empty seat, for Endymion, was on his right. The ladies hadn't arrived yet, and this left a few moments for the gentlemen to share their days stories with the Prince.

"Endymion! You're never going to believe me, but I think these women are... WITCHES! They've put a spell on me! I can't do anything but worry about if they're comfortable, or have opinions about.. anything! It's like.. I can't stop thinking about them. Even right now! I'm thinking about them. How can this be happening? You should have stayed, you would have been able to protect us" Kunzite explained with panicked eyes. This slowly melted into a big grin accompanied with glazed over eyes. He could have been on cloud nine.

"Is that all you have to report?" Endymion asked with a hint of annoyance. How could this be happening? His guardians were obviously weaker than he thought. They were falling into the soldiers' trap.

"No sir. Of course not. Umm.." Zoisite was trying to think up of something more significant details from the day. "Actually, it was odd, but one of their soldiers did not attend today's affairs. I believe, it was Miss. Mina that did not join us. They said that she was tired, and not adjusting to the time change very well," reported Zoisite.

"Now is that the end of it?" Endymion said, dragging out the 'now' to express his boredom with his guardians.

Everyone was silent. The Prince obviously wasn't in the mood to hear anything positive about the visit. It seemed better to just keep their mouths shut for the time being. The gape of silence presented a perfect time for the arrival of the Princess and her guardians as they strode into the room.

Mina led the group, as expected. She was in another gorgeous white evening gown. It was strapless, and the fabric flowed down and around her legs. Various shades of vanilla, ivory, and light browns overlapped each other and a delicate white silk ribbon was tied under her bust line that created a flamboyant bow placed on her back. Her golden hair was in a bun with a few strands falling around her face. Moon crescent diamond earrings adorned her ears, and a matching necklace dangled around her neck. The affect of it all was obvious on the Prince's face, he was melting to the floor.

Rei glided in wearing a silk ruby red gown. The straps came off the shoulders, and the back was open to show off her shoulder blades and curvacious spine. Her hair was worn in a loose fishtail braid with a silk red ribbon intertwined with it. Makoto was wearing an emerald green one-strap dress that had a slit up the left leg that reached her mid-thigh.. Brown hair was messily pinned into a bun with emerald hair pins. Ami wore a calm blue cocktail dress. There was intricate beading all around the hem accentuating the fullness of her dress. Serenity walked in wearing a yellow spaghetti strapped dress. It was made of the finest silk, but it also had a layer of sheer chiffon fabric as thin as rice paper on top. The front of the dress had a plunging V that outlined her neck as well as her full bust.

The Prince, Kunzite, was the only one who stood up once the doors closed behind the soldiers. Seeing how impolite the other men saw themselves since they were gaping at the girls, quickly followed suit. They were star struck by the five figures who glided into the dining room. _How were they suppose to be able to eat if their mouths wouldn't close?_

Each guardian moved from their seat to help a lady sit at the table. The Princess was on the other end of the table facing the Prince, and the soldiers were seated opposite of the guardians.

A light Caesar salad was served with soft bread rolls and butter. The soldiers quickly picked up the conversations where they ended earlier in the day. The room was filled with chatter and discrete giggles. A seafood bisque was brought out as the empty plates were taken away. Everyone was famished from the day. The only two people who stuck out like sore thumbs were Endymion and Serenity.

Those two were the only ones keeping to themselves. Each too busy reminiscing their own days, and replaying them in their head. They had thoughts that it all had to be a dream, but of course it wasn't. Both knew that something was wrong with what they had done earlier, but the gaiety of their adventures was enough to overwhelm the guilt inside.

The main course arrived, and talking decreased to sparse comments about the chicken and steamed vegetables. The food hadn't stopped the chatter and the building relations between soldier and guardian. One of the servants who waited on drinks noticed them all playing cat and mouse. One would stare at the other, but once eye contact was made, they would quickly look away in embarrassment. Blushes reached the cheeks of the soldiers, as well as the guardians. You could tell that the men were having a hard time keeping a straight face. Princess Serenity noticed the weird body language, and started laughing to herself. This caused more confusion to stir in the room, and everyone's blush deepened.

Desert was served next; a warm brownie with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream on the side. Endymion and Serenity still hadn't noticed each other through the suffocating room of flirtatious gestures. The two kept to themselves looking at their companions or at their food. It didn't help that a huge bouquet of flowers blocked their view of one another. Even so, they were both too tired to become part of the conversations surrounding them..

After another long hour of socializing, everyone agreed that it was time to get some sleep. There was a lot in their schedule for the following day; the Spring Festival being the highlight. The two groups said their good nights, and parted ways. The sleeping quarters for the men were on the complete opposite side of the palace. The women in the east wing, and the men in the west.

Once inside the room, everyone rushed to Serenity's side. It seemed that the story would not be waiting until morning. Plus, the soldiers couldn't get the pictures of the guardians out of their heads. It seemed quite impossible. Even Ami had a difficult time settling down to read a book, and not have her mind wander to Zoisite.

"It seems that all of you have found your perfect match," teased Serenity.

"You have no clue! It's like they were meant..." Makoto's voice trailed off after seeing irritation enter Serenity's face. Any sort of negative composure was rare for Serenity.

"I don't know.. to be honest with you. We are all having a good time. One thing that keeps popping up in my mind is what happens when we are suppose to tell the Prince that I'm not really the Princess of the Moon Kingdom? What will happen? Do you think relations between the two kingdoms will get worse?" asked Mina.

"You guys can't be serious! It has only been one day! One day! How are you all coming to the same conclusion of a person's character based off only a few hours with them. They have been born and trained to be sweet, nice, and to court young ladies like us," Serenity looked at each one of her soldiers. They all wore expressions of self-doubt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh. Please... don't get all mopey. We, or I, will just have to figure something out. Maybe this charade will just have to be played out for a bit longer than we expected, even up past the wedding," Serenity sighed.

Mina gave Serenity a hug. "If only we could right? But no, I couldn't do that to you. You are the Princess of the Moon Kingdom. It is your destiny and privilege to rule over the people. I cannot simply take that away from you. If you aren't the one to fall madly in love with the Prince, then this marriage is not meant to be."

"You don't understand. It is going to happen whether I like it or not, especially if the reports you are all telling me ring true. My mother will only cancel the engagement if we can find proof that the Prince won't be a suitable and reliable king." It was like a bomb of everlasting gloom had gone off. Self guilt, and thoughts of impossible happy endings flowed through the room like a tsunami.

"I don't like all this negative talk. It's a terrible vibe, and it's going to make us all age quicker," Rei exclaimed. "Enough of the Prince and his guardians. I want to hear about your day with this Takeshi fellow!"

Serenity smiled at this, and she started to answer all the questions being thrown at her. She also grabbed her gifts and presented them to her soldiers. She even had left over truffles to share.

"I wish that somehow things could just turn out alright. In the end, will I have to announce that I don't want to marry the Prince? Everything is going according to plan, but... it is quickly becoming a jumbled mess. There's this destined Prince, and then there is Takeshi."

"Can I offer some advice?" Ami asked. "Princess, you should just go with your heart, and when I say heart – I mean the chemical reactions going on in your head that has created your instinct to lead. That is what I always do when I'm in a bind, and I don't know what to do, or at least when I don't know if I should chose to read about quantum physics or neurophysics. "

"You're right. I shouldn't let the stress grab hold of me like this. Things happen for a reason... don't they?"

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Thank you for reading :D Please leave a comment or review, they are always very helpful.


	5. Chapter 5

Seeking Love

Chapter 5

Rain poured down on the Earth capital. Men and women scurried by under their umbrellas trying to reach the shelter of their cars. All the built up trash over the last few days floated down the street gutters sending a mixed stench of car exhaust and spoiled food through the air. A man in ragged clothing sat beneath a section of roof on the corner of a rundown shop. People glanced at him, but many gave him no thought. He was a beggar man who had nothing to claim as his own except for what he had on his back. Crouching against the brick wall, his arms dangled between his legs. A finger trailed through a gathering puddle in front of him.

But, this man was no ordinary man. As well, as the puddle was no ordinary puddle. No one could have seen, but him, the images playing across the water's surface. They were all too busy with their own problems to care. But, if one had taken the time, such as the rat peering over the roof, they would have seen the Moon Princess eating her dinner, or earlier watched her shopping in the third district. A smile slowly crept onto the man's face. She was getting more and more tangled in his trap, and soon she would have nowhere to run.

* * *

Calloused hands slid around his waist. He could feel the heat emanating from the body behind him. A heartbeat and the whisper of his name rang in his ears. Kisses were being placed along his shoulder trailing to the sensitive spot behind his ear. The smell of mint filled his nose, and he turned around in the sensual embrace. He wanted to look into the lover's eyes, but all he saw was a blur. Like he was looking through glazed glass. _Who are you?_

Endymion jolted awake. Rubbing his eyes he felt a pang of dread in his stomach. The dream had come again. It had been over six months since the last, and he believed they would never return. He thought the counseling was working. Obviously, that was not the case. He could try to go back to sleep, but the idea that he would jump right back where he left off sent his hair on end. The only alternative was to get out of bed.

He walked silently through the halls. It was four o'clock in the morning, and the only place he felt comfortable was in the kitchen. His mother always made him midnight snacks, and she would tell him stories of magnificent knights who slayed dragons while saving entire villages. The knights in the stories always got what they wanted, but they had to make hard sacrifices. He had grown up hoping to be one of those knights, he still was.

Rummaging through the fridge he found left over spaghetti from a few days ago. Waiting for it to heat up, the dream walked back into his thoughts. To think a memory would haunt him for so long. Not only inside himself, but remembering the whispers behind his back when people thought he wasn't looking. He had been caught in a scandalous deed, and there was no proof to say he didn't participate in the acts. There was also little evidence to show he did as well. Ever since, it had been up in the air, and the majority of people seemed more inclined to believe that he was in the wrong.

The noodles covered in red sauce were steaming from a bowl, and Endymion sat at the kitchen table lost in his thoughts. He was so stuck in his mind's labyrinth, he didn't notice Kunzite's steps on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Prince, the dreams are bothering you again aren't they," inquired the white haired man popping up and settling his bottom on top of the table the Prince was eating on.

"You always know what's on my mind. The dream decided to give me a visit tonight. I

guess it thought its' vacation was too long huh?" Endymion look straight ahead of him with a small laugh.

"Or something triggered it to come back again. You aren't... you know.. attracted to anyone are you?"

Memories of Natsumi rushed through his mind. He could imagine his hands running through her soft red hair.

"Who is it?" demanded Kunzite.

His new interests must have shown on his face."Aren't you supposed to be asking a different question?"

"Oh, sorry," Kunzite looked at the floor in embarrassment. "I mean, who is she?"

"Just a girl I met her at the market today, but I don't think she triggered the dream." Endymion wasn't ready to talk about Natsumi to Kunzite. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone. "I'm going back to my room."

Endymion was obviously upset, and Kunzite knew it. Before Endymion walked out the door he added, "I didn't mean to suggest..."

"I know you didn't Kunzite." Endymion interrupted, his cold back facing Kunzite.

"Okay. I just thought you should know. I've always supported you, and I will always be their standing next to you as your guardian, your protector." He was going to reach out and pat Endymion on the shoulder, but Endymion was already walking away.

"I know, I know." Endymion replied without any feeling. It wasn't that he didn't take what Kunzite was saying seriously, but Endymion couldn't respond with anything but empty answers. Especially since he didn't even know the truth for himself.

Back in his room, he didn't find it any easier to fall asleep. He looked at his room, it was still a mess from earlier that morning. Now seemed like the best time to clean it all up. Endymion picked up his pants on the floor, and started to search the pockets. Nothing. All of these questions in his life, and not one answer to be found.

* * *

Serenity's eyelids fluttered open. What time was it? Swinging her legs out of the bed, her feet blindly searched the floor for her bunny slippers. Shuffling to a window, the sky was a dark blue. It could only be five in the morning at the earliest. Sitting back down on her bed she thought about going back to sleep, but couldn't force herself to put her head back down on the soft pillow. Instead, she went to go take a shower.

Walking into the main area of her quarters in a flower patterned dress with a vintage silk cardigan she glanced around. Nobody else was up yet. What to do, what to do... she found herself traveling towards the jade doors leading out into the hallway. What harm would become of her if she went on a little adventure of her own around the palace. The only people up would be the servants, and they wouldn't mind her walking around.

It was dead in the hallways. No sounds came from any of the rooms, and to her surprise she didn't even see a single servant. Looking out one of the windows, the sky was turning to a light pink. It was almost sunrise. The view sparked an idea. She started looking for an entrance to go outside to the gardens. She remembered during her previous escape passing some sort of bridge walkway that looked to lead in the direction she wanted to go.

* * *

Endymion had been busy the rest of the night inspecting his room. Nothing was to be found in his pants but some coins, and rolled up lint. This left absolutely nothing for him to go on. _What had happened the other night?_ Lying back in his bed. He tried to imagine if there could have been another body lying next to him in his oversized bed. Frustrated from racking his brain he sat cross legged on his bed. Should he just forget about it? Nothing, had turned up yet. No blackmail at least. He stood back up, and started to find the clothes he was going to wear that day. Today was suppose to be a casual day, and so he searched all the way in the back of his closet for the small section of fashionable spring wear. Yes, against all his wishes, he had been appointed a fashion consultant. He had no time to go shopping, and he never knew what to wear. Fortunately, all his outfits were all hung in complete outfits. He found a v-neck cotton shirt in light blue, gray light jacket, and black jeans. Slipping them on, and checking his hair for any strays, he went back out into the hallway.

Walking around he heard some footsteps up ahead of him. Who could that be? Nobody else should be up at this hour, and the only servants working would be the cooks. Picking up his pace, he ended up at the back terrace looking over the garden. On the bridge ahead of him was a young woman walking towards the labyrinth of hedges. It was designed by the Buddhist monks for the Royal family a few centuries back. It was suppose to bring peace, calmness, and a focused mind to whoever walked through it. Curious as to who was walking the rigorously groomed maze, he quickly followed. It looked like the Princess; she had the blonde hair, and she seemed like the right height. Maybe it was time they talked alone for a bit.

He knew the maze inside and out, front to back. He could have done it with his eyes closed. In his younger days he would always spend time here to escape from palace studies, and thought of his mother when she passed on into the next realm. Surprisingly he wasn't able to catch up to the woman, even though he was walking at quite the brisk pace. _Who was this girl? A horse? _

Arches marked the end of the maze which opened up to a clear crystal pond. Flat stones were placed as stepping points to reach a white marble pagoda in the center. Endymion stood at the arches breathing deeply. The woman was lying on her back, her legs crossed at the ankles, lying in the middle of the pagoda. Her hair and her dress hung around her. This was not the Princess, but she invoked a curiosity in him. This had to be the a sailor soldier. But what was she doing just lying there? Endymion walked across the stones, and crept closer to the blonde. Her eyes were fixated towards the ceiling. He followed her gaze up, and to his surprise saw a small square of pink sky. He had never noticed this small oddity during the millions of time being out here as a boy. How had he missed the small detail.

Serenity bolted upright. She could feel a presence nearby. Looking around she did not expect for the presence to be that of a man only two feet away from her. His face was set in a curious, but bold expression. He was judging her. Who could blame him though. She was just lying here on the ground, in a dress! She started to stand, and fix the wrinkled garment.

"I'm so sorry. This is so unladylike, and I can't believe you saw me. I didn't think anyone else was around, and I didn't mean to be here. I was just up early, and I couldn't go back to sleep, and I didn't know what else to do, and... and.. I'm sorry," rambled Serenity. Silence filled the cold air. Serenity shifted her eyes from looking at the man and his features to looking down towards the water and the swimming koi in the pond.

All Endymion could do was stare at her. She had the most brilliant deep blue eyes he had ever seen. They were busy, and full of the unknown. They reminded him of the ocean.

Finally remembering he had a voice, he asked, "So are you trying to say you usually find odd places to lie down, or are you saying you don't usually act unladylike?" Endymion pulled a fallen leaf from the unknown woman's hair.

Gaining her stability over the situation, Serenity replied, "I'm just saying that I'm sorry I interrupted your morning stroll."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Who do you think I am?" Serenity was starting to feel offensive. She didn't quite know why, but she felt attacked for some reason.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out." Endymion crossed his arms quizzically.

"I am none other than the Pr... than" – she stammered – "than one of Princess Serenity's soldiers, Mina." She almost let the truth slip so easily to a man she didn't even know!

"It is nice to bump into someone like you during this quiet morning. By the way, my name is Kunzite." He bowed, and then leaned against one of the beams of the pagoda. "I am one of the Prince's guardians. I haven't really gotten the chance to become acquainted with our guests from the Moon Kingdom, but it is nice to finally meet you." Endymion reached out his hand, palm up. He was offering one of the more sensual greetings given on Earth. Serenity had seen this in plenty of plays, and followed suite. She lifted her hand, and placed it upon his. Her heart started racing, and she could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. Endymion bent forward, and placed a sweet kiss on her dainty hand. His hair fell forward and brushed her wrist. She smelled sweet like freshly picked strawberries.

Endymion spun on his heels looking like he was about to leave, and glanced backwards. "Would you like to see something even more exciting than a small little box?"

Puzzled by his question, she got the hint that he wanted to show her something about the gardens. "Sure," she responded hesitantly.

"Good. Then follow me." Being a gentleman this early in the morning was unusual for him, but everything about this morning was already out of the norm. He offered her his arm, and she wrapped her hand around it.

They walked across the pond back where they came, but instead of heading through the arches. Endymion made a sharp left following the side of the labyrinth. Only small comments about flowers, and pruning were made into a conversation. After ten minutes, they reached a wooden door hidden behind a plant that looked like ivy, but it was a burnt orange color with tips of red. Quickly unlocking the door, they walked through the opening, and found themselves in what looked like a large chamber, a cave really. It was dark, and you could hear water dripping into puddles. Walking forward, there was a large opening, like a window without glass, looking out into the sky. If you looked down, all you could see were moving cotton clouds, and far off in the distance you could see the dark blue ocean. The sun was coming up from the east, and was showering its' colorful light across the world. Serenity breathed in the fresh morning air flowing around her. It was so calm, and desolate. It was the perfect place if one wanted to be alone.

"Enjoying the view? We are now above the entire city. The walk might not have seemed too strenuous, but we are at the highest point of the capital. Many people don't know this place exists, or we would have a lot of trouble on our hands. Some might say it risks security to the palace, but I can't give up such a heaven." Endymion looked at Mina once more.

"This is absolutely breathtaking. I can't believe such a place exists. I didn't wake up this morning expecting to see anything like this. I had always pictured Earth as backward, but this is something anyone from anywhere in time would have to say is truly a wonder."

The two stood their in silence while the sun rose, and the sky turned into a full shade of blue. They were so entranced with the natural beauty in front of them that they didn't take a second to notice the creeping blackness gathering behind them in the cave. It was a dark abyss spreading like wisps of smoke, hungrily preying on the light.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully this is satisfying your hunger for Sailor Moon fanfiction. Please leave a comment, because every bit helps to keep me motivated to keep writing more. (Don't worry, there is plenty to come).


	6. Chapter 6

Seeking You

Chapter 6

Each of the Sailor Soldiers woke up promptly at 7am, and started their own personal routines to prepare for the day. This included stretches, ten minute workouts, breakfast, and showers. They had to limber up not only to protect their Princess, but now to stay in shape for any prospecting males. Not that the latter would take any priority over the first. Once all of this was done, the soldiers met in the central room to wake up Princes Serenity.

Mina flung open the large doors, and without hesitation shouted, "GOOOOD MOOORNING PRINCESS!"

It was always a smart idea to say things extra loud in the morning, because the Princess was quite the deep sleeper. But, to their surprise, they found a tidy made bed. Pillows and everything in their rightful place. _Where was the Princess? _They all quickly rushed out of the room to find the Prince, or anyone that would help them find her.

"She could have been in the bathroom. Nobody checked her bathroom," stated Ami while they were rampaging the hall.

"No, nobody checked the bathroom. Everyone knows that the Princess wouldn't make her bed before getting ready," replied Rei. "She doesn't even make it at home!"

"She could be in the kitchen eating breakfast." Ami tried another attempt at making a guess of where Princess Serenity could have gone.

"No, she wouldn't eat without all of us while visiting another planet. She is suppose to be a protector on this trip remember," replied Makoto.

"We just need to ask the Prince. He must have a way to locate her in such a large place as this." Mina quickly put forth before Ami could attempt another guess.

The girls ran into the Prince and his Guardians in the hallway. They were just about to ask them to breakfast, but upon seeing the Princess's furrowed brows and the soldier's worried faces, asked what was wrong.

"You're saying that you can't find her, but you haven't even looked yet?" Jadeite asked.

"No.. well yes.. well no. We just know she isn't in our room, and we know that she wouldn't just leave us to panic over her absence."

"I will ask the servants if they have seen her, and will have the guards keep a lookout. There really isn't much we can do at the moment," Kunzite stated.

"Yes there is! We can go and find her!" Mina exclaimed.

She pushed herself through the group of men, and started walking. Where she had no clue, but at least it was somewhere. It was better then just standing around doing nothing!

"Wait! Wait!" – Kunzite turned around – "We will help you. Do you boys have any clue where she might have gone?"

"I have an idea!" Ami spoke up.

All the girls gave a heavy sigh. One more suggestion from Ami wouldn't hurt, but hopefully it was a good one; she was the smart one who aced all of her tests in school.

Ami continued, "She might have gone to look at the gardens."

The idea clicked. Of course she would be wandering there, and the large group set off. Upon reaching the gardens, everyone could tell something was wrong. Looking down at the ground there was a trail where the grass had turned yellow and dry. Plants were brown, and molding. The heads of flowers had fallen to the ground, and were slowly disintegrating into dust. Death had been here. They all started running down the path where each was hoping that they would, and would not find the Princess.

The group reached the door that Endymion and Serenity had passed through earlier. Kunzite went to reach for the handle to open the wooden door, but could feel a dark aura emanating from it.

"We need to prepare for what is on the other side of this door. It is no doubt evil, and we must not have such a power poisoning this world!" Kunzite announced.

Muscles tensed, and swords were drawn ready for battle. The still silence before the storm washed over the warriors. Not one bird flapping its' wings or the wind blowing threw the grass could be heard.

The door flew open, and Serenity and Endymion ran out from the entrance. A large dark cloud following them, and cast everyone into darkness. Inside the pocket of black the soldiers and guardians could hear the terror of all the previous lives it had taken. In the confusion of the noise, a bright light sparked. Then four lights in the colors of red, green, blue, and yellow appeared. They started off like distant stars in the night sky growing brighter, and clearer until they shined like diamonds.

"Moon Power! Make Up"

"Mars Power! Make Up!"

"Jupiter Power! Make Up!"

"Mercury Power! Make Up!"

"Venus Power!Make Up!"

The dazzling lights were, of course, the Sailor Soldiers and their leader Sailor Moon.

"Mercury! Turn up the lights!" Serenity shouted.

A cool mist began to spread, and started to absorb the darkness. All that was left were the four Sailor Soldiers, Sailor Moon, Prince Endymion, Earth Guardians, and a creature with gold scales instead of skin. It looked like a hybrid between a human and a lizard. A bright red tongue slashed out at the protectors.

"Come a little closer! I WONT BITE!" the creature sniveled. The voice sounded female, but had a rasp sticking to it. For how horrid it sounded, it still carried a seductive quality; like it was trying to enchant you with a spell.

Sailor Mars stepped forward and shot fire balls one after the other while Venus chained it to the ground. It cried out in pain.

"What? Can't take the heat?" retorted Sailor Mars.

The monster started to fight back. Even though pieces of skin were scorched and falling away from muscle. The chains holding it down were straining, and the feet were able to break free. A tail peeled away from the creature's spine, and cracked the air. "Why don't you try that again little girl!"

Sailor Jupiter sent lightning strikes down on the creature. She was able to stun it, and make it as still as a statue. Nephrite unsheathed his sword, and ran forward ready to decapitate the foul thing, and then at the last possible second the monster shot it's tail at him. It made a deep cut across his chest. Blood started to soak into the surrounding cloth.

"NOOOO!" Sailor Jupiter ran towards him to drag him away from the reach of the whipping tail.

Jadeite gave two nods to the other remaining men on their feet. This was the signal they learned in one of their combat training courses. Zoisite and Kunzite were to act as a distraction while Jadeite went in for the killing blow. The two men continued to slash and cut at the beast, but the monster was too fast for Jadeite to attack. Sailor Moon had to act quick.

"Princess Moon Halation!" A bright beam of light shot at the creature blinding it, and Prince Endymion sprinted from behind to cut off the tail. A blue liquid squirted out of the wounds, and the creature fell back to the soil at its' feet.

"I will be back. Don't you worry," the creature said. The darkness returned and started to whip around the creature like a tornado. It had vanished into thin air.

Everyone was weak from exhaustion, and heaving in the air that was poisoned by the putrid smell of the cut off tail. The long weapon stood alone in the middle of the group letting blue vile soak into the ground. Soldiers, Guardians, Prince, and Princess were still in their fighting gear, and Nephrite needed immediate attention for his wound. Kunzite and Prince Endymion ran back down to the palace to fetch the doctors and servants to help clean up the destruction left behind by the recent events.

Back in the recovery room, Nephrite's wound was not as deep as it initially looked, but he still needed plenty of stitches. With all the ointments the doctor was able to provide, the wound would heal in no time. Once he was safe in bed, the others decided it was best if they all went back to their own rooms to change, clean themselves up, and rest before they had a meeting about the demon they had encountered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I was happy to finally write an action scene. Hopefully it was delivered well. As usual, please comment.


	7. Chapter 7

Seeking You

Chapter 7

_ Did he notice me? Did he notice that I was the one who changed into Sailor Moon and not Mina?_ Serenity sat on the cold tiles of the hot steaming shower. The water clung to her skin, streaming over her closed eyelids, and dripped off of her chin onto her sailor suit. There was no point in undressing; the servants were going to have to wash the garment anyways. Blood tinged with dark blue ran down the drain. _What just happened?_ Serenity asked herself. One second she was with Kunzite, and the next she was engulfed in darkness. As if she were in a casket that she couldn't escape from. She could feel Kunzite grabbing her arm, and pulling her this way and that. Then she was blinded by light, and she only caught a glimpse of her soldiers. Next there were fire balls, swords clashing, and that monster. The battle had all been a blur of adrenaline, and she could only think about Kunzite, and if had noticed her transformation into Sailor Moon.

Endymion and the guardians were lounging on various pieces of furniture in the library. Each caught up in their own world with thoughts of an oncoming war on their mind. The plan was to research the demon, and figure out how to capture it so they could interrogate the thing. They needed to know if it was here for the Prince? Or for the Princess? What was its M.O.? Nobody seated on the Earth council had even thought to predicted an attack on the Earth Kingdom. There had been no conflicts with the outer or inner rings of the solar system. That left some unknown power beyond the realm of light where darkness only dwelt.

A knock bounced off the walls of the delicate room. "Who is it?" asked Kunzite.

"It is the young ladies sir," a servant replied.

They were all cleaned up as if everything that day had gone according to plan. As if there was no battle, no wounds, and no panic. That is what they _looked _like at least.

Princess Serenity and her soldiers took seats across from the Prince and his guardians. Nobody knew where to start the conversation. Nobody knew if their identities had been compromised, there was the attack to talk about, and security risks had to be reassessed.

"So are we going to just sit here, or are we going to find a solution to our problems?" Rei impatiently asked, breaking the silence.

Nephrite stood up, and swiped his hand underneath the table. The table top lit up, and turned into a hologram platform. A projection of a similar looking creature as the one they encountered stood on the table.

"I've already looked through the database, and what we know about the outer realms. I've only gathered that this lizard human hybrid has rarely been seen by anyone. The last time a sighting was documented, was over 200 years ago. I'm not sure if it is the same creature or an evolved one. There wasn't a lot of information on its' origins. As we have all seen, it shrouds everything in darkness, and attacks its victim with its tail like a whip. It carries a deadly poison in its' mouth, and will usually attack its prey while hiding in the dark," Nephrite tried to explain.

"Did it say anything about how to defeat this creature?" Ami questioned.

"No, as I said earlier, we don't have a lot of information."

"So what are we suppose to do then? Just sit here," Mina started, "and wait to be hunted?"

"No. We will find a way to protect you. To protect all of us." Endymion responded. "We are not cowards."

Serenity, scoffed at him, and turned her face so she didn't have to look at his. To imagine that they had just spent two hours with each other, and she hadn't picked up on his arrogant attitude.

"Cowards or not! Bravery isn't going to help us here. It isn't a weapon. What we need is a plan."

"If you think I am so worthless, why don't you think of one."

"I will!"

The argument between the two continued with meaningless banter. Nothing was being accomplished, but the rest of the group was able to tune them out.

"So the creature covers itself in darkness. So why don't we just find a way to keep out of the dark. Ami was able keep it bright while the rest of us were all lost in the creature's trap," Makoto started to mention.

"Hmm.. That's actually not a bad idea. Why am I being so dim! We have a sun globe we use during the Spring festival, it was a gift from the Sun Seers. They said it would always shine through any misgivings and shadows. Maybe it will cancel out the hybrid's power," Kunzite added on.

"At least that keeps us safe for the time being while we try to find out more. We almost had the monster, and it's roaming around without a tail." Zoisite mentioned while checking if Endymion and Mina were still in battle with each other. Wasn't one fight enough for the day?

"I can go talk to the council and see if they have any input or ideas on the situation," said Mina. She kicked Serenity under the table to get her attention. "I think it would be in both MY interest and the Prince's to seek council advice."

Serenity finally quit bantering with Kunzite, and shut him out of her mind. He was a waste of her time, obviously!

"Yes, I think that is the wonderful idea," she agreed with the Princess.

"So what is the plan?" Endymion asked.

Serenity grew red with frustration. "Haven't you been listening?"

"No. because I was too busy dealing with you!"

"Okay, that settled it then. You are a complete moron."

Endymion stood up in such haste, that his chair fell over. His face was full of disgust, and he quickly left the library. No one had ever called him, the Prince, a moron. He wasn't going to let a simple girl, who was crazy enough to just lie on the ground on a whim, to start calling him one.

"I believe it would be best if we all took some time to think more on the matter." Kunzite suggested with earnest. He had never seen the Prince overreact like he just did.

"That would be good for all of us I think." Mina curtsied, and then tried to unclamp Serenity from the chair. The girl's knuckles had turned white with fury.

Kunzite asked Nephrite if he could keep researching the hybrid, and asked Jadeite to try track down where the globe was in the festival. He then started walking towards the Prince's chambers. Endymion needed to be talked to, and to be calmed down. All the guardians knew that the Prince had never been addressed in such a way before - never by a woman. His knuckles rapped on the man's door. There was no answer.

"Prince! Let me in! We need to talk.. we need to discuss things." Kunzite pleadingly yelled through the door. "Endymion!"

He knocked and groveled until he finally became fed up with straining his voice. Shaking the handle to cause a racket, the expected bolted door open instead. The door wasn't even locked. Stepping through the door, Kunzite saw that the room was empty. The Prince wasn't in the room, and he had spent all that time on the other side of the door for nothing. Sometimes the Prince could be a little too "Princely" for Kunzite's taste. Actually, not princely.. more like snobbish. He rarely seemed to care about his duties the last few months, and started pushing everything on his guardians. They were there for him, but they could only do so much.

* * *

Endymion had been to his room, but only to quickly change and gather some items to go to the festival that night with Natsumi. He knew she was probably the one thing he shouldn't have his mind on at the moment, but he couldn't deal with the pressure from everyone anymore. The council and his father were breathing down his back about this marriage, and then this attack! Was he really ready to lead this Galaxy in the coming years. He remembered his promise that he would protect the Princess, but Kunzite looked like he had it under control. Nobody would know he was the Prince tonight. He would just be Mamoru, plain and common Mamoru.

Serenity needed a break. That is all she desired, and all she hoped for. What an awful day. She was still debating about going on her date with Takeshi. It would be completely wrong for her to go, but there wasn't anything she could do here at the palace. Once Kunzite left, the Prince basically pushed her aside like cold soup. He treated her like the trapped girl in a tower her mother always told her about in fairy-tales. Serenity had a problem with those growing up, and forced her mom to reinvent new endings. She couldn't get the idea out of her head that the heroine had been abandoned by the ones she loved, or that damsel just didn't have enough confidence, or inner strength. Who could look up to a person who couldn't seem to do anything for herself?

Sitting in her room combing her hair, her mind had decided. She wasn't going to just sit here. There was always more information roaming the streets if you knew how to coax it out of them. She could do some searching, and then find Takeshi. She was in the mood for dancing, and for the festival. Maybe she would even try to negotiate with the Prince to let her girls out to have some fun. Filling the day with gloom wouldn't look like a good report to the King, and she knew that the Prince wouldn't want that.

After a quick chat with his royal highness, he finally relented to the idea. Only on one condition, that everyone stayed together. The globe's power was to be quadrupled in strength, and hung high above the festivities, like a second sun. This didn't erase all the shadows, but it did create more safety for all the citizens of the capital. The ladies were here to tour Earth, and the Spring Festival was one of the most celebrated holidays in the Kingdom.

~~~~~~~~~~~  
I'm working on Chapter 8. The story is finally unfolding.


	8. Chapter 8

Seeking You

Chapter 8

_ Life is a like a puzzle. There are an overwhelming amount of pieces, and you couldn't possibly fathom that each one could only fit with a selected few. You can't predict when you will find two pieces that connect. Sometimes you have to scavenger through every single one, and sometimes it is lying there right under your nose. The puzzle pieces have to be turned and flipped before they find their place in the bigger picture, but they will always have a place, a destiny._

Serenity's bum hurt after sitting in the royal carriage for the past hour. The cobblestones on the street were making the ride make her feel like she was at a fair riding a bounce car. How she despised those as a child. The soldiers and guardians accompanied the Prince and Princess in a parade for the Spring Festival. Food, drinks, and plenty of dancing would ensue. Along with fireworks, loud music, and other festival traditions. Makoto ran off with Nephrite to try out candied apples covered in powdered sugar, colored sugar, caramel, marshmallows, and other treats that had no name on the Moon. Jadeite led Rei to a tarot reading booth to have their fortunes told, always a highlight at festivals. Ami ended up playing a game with Zoisite rooting her on where she was trying to toss a ring around a bottle neck. Her prize would eventually end up being a purple goldfish. The Prince Endymion and Mina were still caught up in royal speeches, and that left Mina to herself to wander off.

Serenity meandered through the crowds. Kids were everywhere chasing each other. Teenagers had arms wrapped around each other, believing they would spend eternity together. Looking up into the sky the Sun Globe floated high above the people. There were then strings trailing from it also creating a luminescence through the dark. It looked like a small sun surrounded by billions of stars.

Takeshi said to meet at the docks. It couldn't be in the third ring, and that meant she was going to have to travel out to the 4th by herself. Another thing to add to the list her guardians would not approve of. They weren't her mother though, and there wasn't much they could do. The crowds thinned out as she reached the gates. The guards were in small groups laughing about times when they were kids at the Spring Festival. No one saw her slip out. The docks were just outside the gate, and there was Takeshi. He was wearing a loose white shirt that conveniently revealed the muscular body underneath.

"Pretty lady! Over here!" he called out. Serenity was already headed his way. The rush of adrenaline for the unknown coursed through her veins. It felt like she was on her first date, meeting a boy for the first time.

"I was thinking you weren't going to show, but I kept waiting – you promised to be here."

"I said I would 'promise' to try my hardest to meet you."

"Same same," as he moved his shoulders up and down. Are you ready to go out to sea?" asked Takeshi.

"As long as we aren't going too far. I don't want to worry my friends."

"No worries. We will be out and back before you know it. There is something I want you to see. Nothing to fear, Takeshi is here... and I know that was very corny."

"As long as you know that."

"All I know is that I am here with you." Takeshi reached out his hand to Serenity, and she hopped on board his little boat. It was a wooden boat, small – and would literally only fit two people. She was so close to the ocean, she was hesitant that nothing was going to come out and attack her._ Nothing to fear_ - hopefully Takeshi was right.

He started paddling out away from the dock. The darkness getting stronger, and the creeping feeling that something wasn't right sank in Serenity's stomach.

* * *

Endymion bypassed the huge crowds, and went to the opening of his secret passageway. Natsumi should be waiting for him there. Walking at a steady rushed pace, he finally reached the entrance. The square was deserted. The sounds of the festival echoed against the walls, but nobody was in sight. He turned around to look at his surroundings, and there was a silhouette of a woman against a wall around a corner. _Natsumi?_ Endymion followed the shadow down the street, but he wasn't quick enough to see where it went after the last turn. He put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He was still going on the energy he had accumulated from the short sleep he had the previous night.

"Mamoru! There you are!" a voice came from behind him. The figure of a woman clad in a tight black dress was waving at him. She had a halter top dress that was practically see through where the light hit it. She wasn't wearing anything but a pair of black underwear underneath. His eyebrows shot up, as did his hormones.

"N-n-natsumi, is that you? You look so different." He non-nonchalantly started pressing his hands against his shirt to get rid of any wrinkles. His number one way of coping with anxiety. Natsumi's hair was now up in a low bun. Her cheekbones were more prominent, and her eyes more dark.

"Come here, I've missed you all day. I thought I wasn't going to see you, and then I got all worried. I didn't know what to do." She was leaning against the wall, and it looked like she could barely stand in the 5 in. heels she had on.

"Are you alright?" Endymion rushed to her side. He could smell the pungent tint of alcohol coming from her breath. She had started the festivities without him. "You've had a little too much to drink. Maybe we should go sit down huh?"

"No! I don't want to. I just want to be by you. Come closer!"

He had been holding her up. Her arm wrapped around his neck, and his hand on her waist. How was he suppose to get any closer? He sat her down on a nearby bench, and she slid onto his lap – well her head did. Which was resting right on top of his manhood.

"I know this is only our second time spending time together, but I want to make this your first."

She was making no sense, but he knew what she was implying. He had to stop her now before she did something she might regret, or something he would regret. Her hand rose to his thigh, and started stroking it.

"Come on! You know you want me to. I don't bite."

"No Natsumi, No. You don't want this. Why don't we go back to the festival. I can take you back home." He was brushing her bangs away from her face.

Her hand clenched his thigh. Her nails started digging into the material. "Mamoru, listen to me. I know what I'm doing, and let me do it!"

Endymion put his hand on her wrist to try to detach her from his leg. What had gotten into her? A silent rage had entered her being. This was not the Natsumi from the other day.

"Mamoru, Mamoru, Mamoru," she kept whispering in a dotting way. "You just don't know how to relax. I could tell from earlier that you put on this bravado to hide something. You think you are strong, but you're not. You are more like a homeless kitten. I just want to be the one to take care of you. Is that too much to ask?" Her dark eyes gazed up at him. Something in the back of his mind wanted to go crazy with this girl, but his Princely self made him step back.

"You're right. I'm not who you think I try to be." _How that sentence could be a double sword he thought to himself._ "I think we need to go back to the festival. Come on." He tried to stand up, but Natsumi pushed both of his shoulders down, and somehow managed to straddle him. Her chest was pressing against his, and her breath was on his ear. Shivers ran down his back, and all of his senses heightened, testosterone was rushing through him. _Don't give in to temptation, _he kept repeating this in his mind.

"I'll let you go this time, but don't think I wont try again." She pulled back from his body, and turned to face him, her face looked drained of life.

"Natsumi.. are you okay?" Endymion asked.

Her head gave a slight nod, but not as an answer to his question. More like she had just awoken from a deep sleep.

"Mamoru, I don't know what's gotten into me! I don't know what I was doing, and I feel so tired. I think I'm going to have to stay away from drink for a while, just take me home." Her voice reflected her tired state. It was barely audible, and the seductive tone had disappeared.

That was a quick turn around. Natsumi was once again the girl he had met the other day. The spirits can do a lot to a person, and from what he knew about Natsumi – she had been through 'a lot'. Picking her up like a hero carrying a damsel in distress, he found her apartment to help her sober up. What a crazy day it had been.

* * *

Serenity's nerves were at there end when a loud BOOM went off. The sound was so loud it created a wave through the water. Immediately after there were twinkling lights in the sky, and then they showered down like rain – but never touched the ground. Another loud canon went off, and more colorful lights rained from the heavens.

"They're called fireworks! Never seen them I'm assuming. You almost tipped over the boat with your reaction," commented Takeshi.

"You can't seem to stop amazing me. One thing after the other, and I thought you brought me out here to kidnap me or something," teased Serenity.

"You want to know the truth?" Takeshi's voice was right by her ear. Turning her head from looking up at the sky to his face only inches away she responded, "Yes."

He inched closer and Serenity felt his soft lips brushing hers. They were warm, and left a breath of mint behind. Her eyes closed, and she felt his hands reaching for her waist pulling her closer. Her hands slid up his neck to his raven hair. They were nose to nose, looking into each others eyes. The fireworks reflected in each others irises. The heat between them grew, and Serenity couldn't keep herself from kissing him again.

End Chapter 8. More to come :D


	9. Chapter 9

Seeking You

Chapter 9

The firework finale had finished, the vendors began packing, crowds were finding their way to taverns or to their beds. The only souls just waking up were the workers in charge of cleaning the streets for the next day of business to continue.

In the 2nd circle, a shadow crossed onto the glass wall of the green house. The outline looked like that of a lizard, but following the silhouette's origin was a man striding down an aisle of tea leaves. His hand grazed the plants, sweeping over them like a plane over fields. The green leaves started curling, like they were being tickled, but then turned a mustard brown like the soil they were potted in. Smoke started to rise from the plants' deaths, and engulfed the man. He simply disappeared, straight into thin air.

* * *

Serenity met up with the girls after Takeshi finally let her go with a "good-night," and plenty of kisses. She must have been glowing as bright as the Sun Globe, that is how she felt anyway; as giddy as a pre-teen. What was she going to do? Here she was, Princess of the Moon, celebrating a Earth holiday, and kissing a man she barely knew in the middle of the wide open ocean! Thank goodness her mom, the Queen, was miles and miles away. She was nowhere near her "destiny."

"Safety in numbers," Kunzite, as the Prince, called out to the group. Mina was on his arm, and it made Serenity curious what happened between them during the festivities. _What was she going to do, this situation was a mess!_

The carriages taking them back to the palace only seated two per car, and Serenity ended up being paired to Endymion. For being royalty, the carriage had close quarters, barely any room to move. There were windows to peer out to the roads, and the interior was covered in green velvet. Serenity couldn't help but have her shoulder touching the man next to her, especially with all the bumps and sharp turns on the road.

"Damn it!" Serenity cried out. Her head had hit the window, and it was already forming a goose egg. She was rubbing it furiously, hoping it would relieve the pain. It didn't.

"Silly girl, just lean against me, not like I have cooties" suggested Endymion.

"Somebody is in a better mood," said Serenity.

"I'm always in a good mood, you just get on my bad side."

_He is such a contradiction, and he doesn't even know it_, thought Serenity. Thank god all men of this planet aren't like that. Takeshi, now he was a good man. Intelligent, caring, funny, and strong... Serenity's thoughts strayed to his muscular back, his warm chest and arms embracing her. Serenity started leaning into the next best thing she could find, Endymion.

"What are you doing? I said you could lean against my shoulder, not rape me with your face!"

Bolting upright, Serenity came back to reality. "I wasn't 'raping you' I was just.. tired. Give a girl a break."

"I didn't think Sailor Soldiers needed those," scoffed Endymion.

"See! You are dong it again! Do you treat all women like this? No wonder you aren't courting anyone. Jeez, are we there yet? I need to get away from YOU!" sniveled Serenity while jamming her pointer finger into Endymion's bicep. They were hard as rocks.

"Somebody might think you're the 'Princess' by the way you're acting" Endymion retorted.

Serenity's face became blank. "...l-like you're the one to talk! You're the one acting like a superior **ass** around here!"_ He was only teasing, wasn't he? _It had come across Serenity's mind that if one of the guardians really thought about the attack earlier, it wouldn't make sense if a demon was attacking a sailor scout. She prayed that the secret would stay under the radar, no one had brought it up as of yet. _  
_

"Me? Princely? I don't think so. I'm not the one sitting by your little dainty Princess up in that next carriage." Based on the look of the Mina's face, he knew he hit the right chord to throw her tantrum for a spin.

_He just said 'dainty'! How dare he! As if the Princess was ever dainty_. Serenity had been hunting with her father on a 3 month trace, been to places people on Earth could only dream of, and he was calling her dainty? Of course she had regular manicures, and hair appointments, but that was what the heir of a Kingdom was suppose to do; not look like she had been living in the wilderness. That was it, she needed out of here. Luckily, a servant had just opened the door to the carriage, and she moved like a freed animal from a cage.

Endymion took his time climbing out of the carriage. A big smirk plastered across his face, he was starting to like this Mina girl. She was fun to tease, but most of all – it was oddly cute to see her flustered reactions. Somehow this pestering girl took his mind off of the sobering up Natsumi. He had left her tucked in her bed, but she shooed him out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Mina! We have a major problem, and I'm calling a meeting– I don't care how late it is," ordered Serenity.

The girls were back in their rooms, and were all surrounding their Princess. What could the bad news be now? Why did their perfect night with the Earth's guardians have to end like this?

"What is it Serenity?" asked Rei.

"We need to go back to the Moon, I need to break off this engagement. I don't think we can pull this off! What were we thinking? Someone else is bound to discover our secret. Furthermore, I'm falling for Takeshi, and falling fast. In addition, I just had one of the Prince's guardians, Kunzite, piss me off - that should be enough proof for my mother. Who would have such a mad man holding such a position." Serenity slumped onto a couch, and grabbed a pillow to cover her distressed face.

"You need to breath. In and out, in and out." Makoto was gesticulating with her hand as if they were the real body parts that controlled oxygen flow.

"That's not the end of it! I see how you are Mina, and I'm not saying I'm blaming you, but you are obviously not discussing the last seven years war with the Prince," said Serenity.

"Now now, I haven't _just_ been flirting with the Prince," Mina stumbling over her words. "He really shows signs of a decent leader. He knows all about his kingdom – his people, the land, the economy, and even has his foot in a lot of the solutions to the major problems arising in education and immigration. He has stated multiple times that he was willing to give me anything, and everything."

"We all know what that means.." Rei said sarcasticly.

"No! he didn't mean it like that Rei! He was simply reassuring me that I, the Princess, would have just as much diplomatic say in the ruling of the Universe as he did," replied Mina.

"You know all men lie right? It can be historically proven," Ami claimed.

"You know all 'people' lie right Ami?" Mina retorted back. For some reason she was beginning to feel defensive for the Prince. Even against her future ruler! "Not to be rash Princess, but you haven't spent one minute with the Earth royals. How can you be so quick to judge them? I am still supportive of you, but you are barely opening your mind to any new ideas because you are dead set on ending this engagement. In all truth, I think the Prince would be good for you, he'd even you out on your dead set ways.

"Oh really Mina? Is that what you think?" Serenity was standing up now, pretending to look at the books on the shelves, hands on her hips. "Fine, well, seeing as you all are not just my protectors and advisors, but also my friends. I will listen to your qualms. It seems that Mina is onto something here, and I will admit I haven't been here as often as I'd like. So here and now, I swear to spend the whole day tomorrow with you all at court."

Over the next hours into the night the girls continued to discuss the situation of the marriage and the switch. After much debate, it had been decided that the secret would stay behind closed doors until they reached the Moon Kingdom. That meant what happened on Earth, stayed on Earth.

* * *

Endymion was lying in bed, the sheets pushed off to the floor. He was too scared to close his eyes and face his nightmares. They weren't the nightmares of a 5 year-old boy anymore with monsters under the bed. His nightmares were what he was most scared of as a grown man, and these evils, they sometimes turned into his dreams, his desires. They were things he should never wish for, that is what scared him the most. He had turned on a playlist of ocean sounds, ironic that it was only a few miles away – but nowhere close to hearing distance. His mind started to wander from his previous nightmare to his discovery of his room a few days back. Green velvet.. it rang a bell now. There was the same green velvet in those carriages! That had to lead him to his next clue. He had been out of the palace that night, but where? He was going to have to go ask the coachmen if they knew where he had ordered them to go.

With the new discovery fresh in his mind, it was even harder for him to sleep. Looked like he was going to have to go raid the pantry again.

* * *

_Please be in bed.._ Mina hoped that this morning wasn't going to be a repeat. Peering in through the door's crack she saw a mess of blonde hair on pillows. _Thank god!_

"Princess! Time to wake up!" she yelled. No movement. "Don't pretend you're dead, because that trick stopped working a years ago." Still not a stir. Mina prepared her legs, and leaped onto the bed. The springs were still bouncing when a hand came up to slap her in the face. Having already known the move, she swerved to the side, and started digging her hands into the Princess's side. "WAKE UP! You promised to spend the day with us!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" Serenity relentlessly groaned. Why did her scouts have to be so punctual?

At breakfast, hot oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries was served, along with vodka and O.J. to help with the previous nights intake of alcohol. Serenity didn't feel too hung over; the memories of Takeshi were enough medicine to get her up and going for the day. She noticed only the Prince, Nephrite and Jadeite from the Earth kingdom were at the meal, where were the others? This seemed like a perfect time to grill the Prince.

"So, Prince Endymion, you don't expect your guardians to be up this early?" asked Serenity.

"Hmm?" Kunzite raised his eyebrows to the question, caught off guard. "...I don't actually. The day after the festival is actually a rest day, a lot of the shopkeepers need to restock. Many of our citizens probably had too much to drink, it is tradition to let everyone take it easy today. So I let my guardians rest, they are Earth citizens too," replied Kunzite. _Actually, the Prince is lazy, and never makes it to breakfast anyway. Zoisite is probably trying to pull him out of the bed, _thought Kunzite to himself while taking a sip of his coffee.

"Why do you ask Mina?" Nephrite asked.

"Oh, I was just curious what the Prince expected of his guardians. Also wondering when we were going to continue our talk about that lizard. I wanted to know if there were any leads or more information he found out," Serenity said.

"No need to worry, we will be meeting up with them after breakfast in the library. We like to start our day off casually. It helps keep the mood more upbeat, and makes the day go by smoother," Kunzite responded. _More lies. _

Endymion walked in, dark circles still fresh under his eyes. He had only gotten back to sleep a few hours ago. He was coming up empty handed once again with his search about the green velvet. He sat down in an empty seat, poured his mug to the top with hot coffee.

"Good Morning Kunzite," said Kunzite. He still wasn't use to saying his own name.

"Good Morning" repeated the others. Well, all except Serenity.

Serenity continued the conversation pretending to not have noticed Kunzite's entrance. He was still at the back of her mind as an overly self-righteous royal.

"Great then. I'm glad you are on top of things Prince Endymion. I just don't want my 'dainty' Princess to go unprotected. Especially since we are here on an unfamiliar planet and all." Serenity gave a good hard glare in Kunzite's direction. Mina just looked at her quizzically, where was that attitude coming from? Was this her retribution for having to stay with them the whole day?

_I can't believe she is still holding that over my head. Can't she take a joke?_ Endymion grimaced. Obviously the lady wasn't one to play easy with. He did notice that however that Mina gave him no morning greeting, but satisfyingly- it meant he had wedged himself under her skin.

The doors into the dining room were slammed open, a servant came running in. Endymion noticed the young boy's brief pause of who to report to, but efficiently went to Kunzite. A few whispers and nods, and the servant went back where he'd come from.

Kunzite stood up, "I have just been informed that we are going to be spending the next two days at our private island. It seems that someone last night stole the Sun globe, and thus it is impertinent that we leave at once for security reasons. If you will please gather your things as soon as possible, servants will then help you get situated for travel."

_Sending us to an island? What will that do? Oh right– make us helpless in the middle of nowhere, _Serenity thought. She wanted to say it outloud, but she held her tongue. _Alright then, looks like we are going on vacation, on a vacation._

* * *

Another chapter done, and more in the works. Thank you, once again, for reading. Just to let some of you know, for those who are still holding in there for some Endymion and Serenity interaction, there is more in the next two chapters.

As a reply to the review by "AM": Thank you for the corrections, I went through and fixed them. Also I took your advice about the names, I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier – guess that's why I love readers/reviewers. Just a quick note though, the 'nightmare' in Chp. 1 was an actual event – unlike the nightmare in Chp. 5. :D


	10. Chapter 10

Seeking You

Chapter 10

Servants were bustling about preparing for the trip. In all of an hour, the Princess and her sailor scouts were moving out, and quickly boarding a long-tail boat at the royal port. Only a few trusted servants, captain, and crew were also allowed on board. Two hours later, the boat had docked. The island was not the typical tropical escape one would have expected. Serenity noted, there was nothing at all. There were no palm trees, and barely any sand. Were they just going to be stranded here to die?

"I noticed, that you noticed, where we are," commented Endymion to Serenity.

"Ya. I did, and it looks like we are on that Earth show where people start eating each other. Is this really the solution to that monster chasing after us?" asked Serenity.

"Come on you two. Stop wasting time." Kunzite was getting sick of those two fighting. On the boat ride he and the Princess, Mina, were talking about how ridiculous the two sounded bantering at each other like that. They both agreed that their protectors were acting out of the norm, and to just ignore the fact that they were both impersonation adolescents.

"This way," Zoisite said to the others.

A gust of air blew Serenity's hair into her face. She could barely see a thing. She swore she hadn't seen a single cloud in the sky, nor any wind before they got off the boat. The current steadily grew stronger. _Great, now we are in a storm._ There was a loud noise, like a thousands of birds were coming at them. Trying her best to move the hair from her face, Serenity looked up to see a huge flying contraption. It was the source of the wind and the noise. Zoisite was rushing them towards it. Out popped a small man, and in vanished Kunzite. Zoisite stayed at the opening to help the girls get in, and to put earmuffs on them.

"Welcome to our helicopter ladies. From here, we will be going up – to our island." Zoisite announced.

The helicopter slowly lifted off the ground, and continued to fly higher and higher up into the sky. The ascent ended them up in the next atmosphere zone, and looking out – one could see the curvature of the earth. It seemed that it had become night, even though it still only 12 in the afternoon.

"While we are getting to our destination. I'd just like to reassure everyone that we are perfectly safe, and to just enjoy the ride," said Zoisite.

"I don't know about that," Kunzite said with a straight face. "Mina's hair might start attacking somebody with the way it looks over there," a smirk spread over his face. He couldn't help himself from teasing her, especially since she opened the can of worms at breakfast.

Serenity jaw dropped. Putting her hands to her hair, she felt that it had been turned into a birds nest from the helicopter. She sat in silence, it was better to just not say anything back at all. She was a grown woman after all.

Eventually, the helicopter started its decent. They didn't go all way back to the ocean though. It seemed that they were flying into a mass of clouds.

Mina was staring at the godly clouds. She had a small desire to jump into them. She always thought it would feel like falling into a over-sized cushion; though she remembered the time she shared this fantasy with Ami as a child. Ami just told her she was insane, and asked, "Why would it be fun to fall into a mass of liquid droplets and frozen water crystals?" She shook her head at the memory. Then she saw a rock peeking out, which slowly turned out to be a much larger rock. _A land formation?_

"How are we looking a the bottom of a piece of land when we are in the air?" asked Mina.

"You see Princess, it's literally a piece of 'land in the air'." Nephrite responded with a grin of satisfaction.

Endymion also gave a small chuckle. Looks like they were still able to impress these ladies who seemed like they knew everything there was to know.

"I've read about these! These land forms started rising up after the Gods war! There is some force here that causes gravity to act in strange ways. Scientists have been trying to solve it for years. For a while, people came up with outlandish urban legends for why boats started disappearing. Eventually they were able to search the bottom of the ocean floor, but found absolutely nothing. They never thought to look up towards the sky!" Ami exclaimed.

The helicopter rose up into a hole near the island's base. They were instructed to take off their ear protection, and to exit the craft.

"Welcome, to heaven! Or, by another name, Island Nephos." Zoisite continued to lead the group to what looked like a moving sidewalk. The only difference, to Serenity's fear, was that the walkway was completely made out of glass so one could look downward into the empty space below them.

The walkway didn't just move straight, it began to curve up. Out they came to what looked like a grand ballroom. The floor was made of white marble, and the room had similar furnishings as the capital palace. Rushing to the windows, the girls saw they were in the middle of a forested area. The woods were not like ones they had ever seen before. The tree trunks were over 12 meters in diameter, and clear water pooled out of stumps to other nearby trees. Rays of light came through the mists, creating a mystical effect on the place. They could smell the fresh scent of, not pine, but sandalwood.

"That would be a class five water system," exclaimed Zoisite. "The trees collect the water from the clouds, purify it, and spit it out again into the soil. From there we collect it, and is sent to regions of the world where they don't have such easy access to healthy water."

"The Prince is the one who actually came up with the system to safely and conveniently share it with the world," said Jadeite. "I'd say it was one of his greater feats as a young adult."

Mina had elbowed Serenity's side. _Maybe Mina was telling the truth about the Prince and his good deeds, _Serenity thought. Looked like it was 0-1, and Serenity was loosing. She had to find an imperfection about him before she left to go back to the Moon, read evidence.

"The plan is to double check security protocol, and then to continue our research in the library. We will reconvene in an hour to let everyone freshen up" Jadeite announced.

* * *

This library was even bigger then the one on land. Unlike the library at the capital, there were no spiral staircases, just one single walkway into the middle of a ginormous globe. At the epicenter, there was a sitting area for the scouts and generals, and on the surface of the globe were books, billions and billions of books.

"We store all the originals of every book, research document, map, and anything that needed to be archived here," said Nephrite while he started poking into the air. Only from a particular angle could you see he was typing on a holographic keyboard. The sounds of whizzing filled the air, not loud enough to be annoying, but noticeable if you were listening for it. Flying bots started moving about. Up close they looked like mechanically engineered dragonflies. They flew up all around the globe, and started to fetch the desired documents Nephrite requested. Another hologram blew up in the center of the table. Once again it was the lizard creature.

"So far, what I have found other then the fact that the creature doesn't like light, is that like a lizard. It blends into it's surroundings, in other words it can morph," explained Nephrite. The lizard hologram started to transform into a man. "This is the other form it takes, and he was sighted last night by the cleaning crew, the ones that survived. Turns out he was indeed the one who stole the Sun globe. Fortunately, we have another weapon to use against the foul creature. Problem, we don't know what it exactly looks like, or what it does. Good news, its classification is Dauthus Lacerta, Lizard of Death."

"That is great and all, but how is that information suppose to help us?" asked Rei. She tried not to sound to demeaning, she knew that Makoto was into Nephrite, but this wasn't getting them anywhere.

"It is here actually. Here, as in on Nephros. We have the coordinates, but that is it. We're going to have to trek out there, into the forest."

"Peachy. So what? We go hunt, grab the thing, bring it back, and go kill us a bad guy!" said Makoto, pumping a fist into the air.

"Not quite, but that's the gist," replied Nephrite.

"I think it sounds like a plan," agreed Mina.

"At least we aren't just sitting here," said Endymion.

"Agreed," said Serenity.

"Since everyone is on the same page, why don't we head out in the half hour. I know we have only settled in, but let's make haste," Kunzite tried to sound like he was still the leader of the situation. Was he acting too princely?

Backpacks were filled with water, flashlights, sleeping gear, food, and medical kits. They were prepared for anything. As the group stepped out into the forest, a wall of humidity hit them. Nephrite had given everyone a map to where they needed to go. Rei and Jadeite carried compasses to lead them in the right directions. Ami and Zoisite shared a GPS system, they couldn't go one hour without their technology. Makoto and Nephrite stayed in the back, while Serenity and Endymion along with Mina and Kunzite stayed in the center of the group.

Trekking through rivers, rocks, and avoiding cliffs they made it to their destination, a grandparent tree. The other trees were big, but this one was the big mamma. The group couldn't even see around the trunk it was so large, it had to be at least a half mile in circumference. The leaves were a sage green, with yellow tips. One could easily cover the roof of a medium sized car. Ami looked closer, she could see something traveling through the veins. Investigating, she cut a vein open, went through the lists of elements in her head, it was Au - Gold.

The only way they were going to start their search for their weapon was if they split up. They went into one group of four, and the other group of six. Endymion, Serenity, Makoto, and Nephrite headed clockwise around the tree, while the others went counter-clockwise. They planned to meet on the other side.

Walking through some brush, Serenity noticed that parts of the roots grew out of the ground. These roots were over a 3 meters thick, and they had to climb over them. Endymion went first, and then tried to help Serenity over. She jumped up too quickly, and it made them both stumble backwards.

"Ow!" Her ankle had not fallen in the right place. She had landed right on top of Endymion. He looked at her accusingly. She put her hands down on the ground around his face to help herself get up, but this only caused her chest to hover right over him. She was turning red, again. Rolling over to her side, she heard a crack. The ground beneath them started shifting. Rocks and dirt started breaking apart creating an incline towards the tree trunk.

"Hey, guys, are you okay?" Makoto called out to them from the other side of the root.

"Ya, we're fine! I think I sprained my ankle. We're just going to have to sit here for a while, but I think we found the entrance everyone is looking for," Serenity called back.

"Okay! We'll go find the others, and come back here. Sit tight, be back in a jiffy," Nephrite called back.

* * *

Back at the Earth capital, in a tavern located in the third ring, a man wearing a dark maroon cloak sat in a booth by himself. Looking down into his jug of amber brew, he was about to take a swig when a face swirled into his glass. Looking around to see if anyone noticed the oddity, he turned his back to the barkeep and barmaids.

The face began talking, "Where are they? I can't believe you lost her? The master is going to throw a fit. No, he's going to throw something much worse. You! - Down to hell. What are you waiting around for?"

"Calm your old yapping face down," the man responded. He probably looked like a drunkard talking to himself, lost in his woes. "I've got things under control. She'll be back, and she will be back with something the master has had his eyes set on for quite sometime."

The face in his cup made a smug grin. "We're counting on you. You owe me, and you owe yourself. You are nothing without us, without me. Keep that in mind, Taki."

Takeshi rolled his eyes, and brought the jug to his lips gulping the rest down. He was sick of being bossed around.

* * *

End of Chapter 10. Thought I'd bring some new places, and add a dash of spice to the mix. Thanks for reading! You all keep me going.


	11. Chapter 11

Seeking Love

Chapter 11

Serenity's foot swelled like a balloon. Now she was stranded with one of the most indecent men in the Universe, in the middle of a giant forest, with a sprained ankle. This trip couldn't get any worse.

"Mina, get on my back." Endymion was bending down. He turned his head around trying to give her a reassuring look that he wasn't going to just dump her back on the ground. "Come on, I'm not going to stay crouched all day."

Oddly enough, the sarcasm is what made her relent to him. As quickly and carefully as she could, she got her legs into his arms, and was pulling herself around his neck. His warm body took her mind away from her freezing self. The humidity had made her sweat, and now it was evaporating off her skin giving her the chills. She hadn't noticed how cold she was until now.

Endymion started to walk towards the opening.

"What do you think you're doing? Makoto said to stay here! The others should be here soon. Do you even know where you're going?" asked Serenity.

"I actually do. We are heading towards the reason we came out here in the first place."

"Wait, after all this, you think we can still get to the weapon with just us? You do realize the reason I'm on your back is because I sprained my ankle right?"

Endymion was more then aware of the girl on his back, and her body against him. Her breasts were pressed up against his shoulders, and that strawberry scent was wafting into his nose. At least she was light, and easy to carry.

"It isn't that far down here. On the map Nephrite gave me, it says it's only a mile down."

The man, whose shoulders she was riding on, was surprising her for once. Kunzite was acting his happy self again. Why was it that he seemed so bipolar.

The two transgressed farther into the darkness. Stalagmites and stalactites protruded from the surfaces. It kept getting darker, and less light was coming through. Endymion turned on one of the flashlights in his pack.

"I wonder why your ancestors decided to hide a weapon of light in a place so dark?" asked Serenity. "You would think that they would want to make it as difficult as possible for those allied with the dark realm to not retrieve it so easily."

Another few meters, and the only light source left would be the flashlight. Endymion's feet hit something wet. It was water, and the further he pursued, the higher the water traveled up his leg; it was up to knees now. If it got any deeper, he wasn't going to be able to carry Serenity, and hold the flashlight.

A splash resounded in the distance. Serenity yelped, and pulled her arms closer to Kunzite. Yep, it just got worse. "What was that?" Serenity asked.

"Umm.. probably nothing.." responded Endymion. His voice was a quite whisper. He stopped moving,

"Then why did you freeze?" said Serenity.

Something had just wrapped around his ankle. It felt slimy, and there was more then one. "Mina, I'm going to turn the light off now alright?"

"No!" she yelled at a whisper. "Why?" The flashlight turned off before she got a answer.

The world went pitch-black. Serenity tried to get her eyes to adjust, but to no avail. She wrapped her legs tighter around Endymion's mid-section. Then a glowing started to appear in the water. A type of algae was emanating a blue light. There was also a bright blue coming from Endymion's feet. What looked like a three over sized caterpillars had wrapped themselves around him, but now was slowly releasing their grip. Seemed like the light from the flashlight wasn't making them too happy.

"It's alright, I think we're going to be okay."

Looking around them, Serenity asked,"Kunzite, do you see where we are?"

"Looks like a blue cave to me."

A rhyme Serenity heard from her mother as a child came to mind. She could still repeat it word for word.

_When one is looking, for what one can't find_

_Find what you look for in a mine_

_These mines, you see, are of the sky_

_High and high above our lives_

_Keep walking, walking, until you see_

_More then just trees, but three of these_

_They bring light to darkness, and love to thee_

_But only if you can truly see_

She had always thought it was just a child's tale, silly really, but now that she thought about it. It sounded a lot like this damn island they were stuck on.

"Wow, a child's rhyme. You think we are in a child's rhyme?" asked Endymion cynically.

"From what I think, ya – I do."

"From what I think, I think this place is making you crazier then normal. Wait until I tell everyone your reaction when you heard that splash." Endymion let out a small laugh.

"You were scared too! You just don't want to admit it because you're a 'man'" teased Serenity. "Anyway, the poem says that we need to keep going until we see something in threes."

"Can't be anymore specific?" Endymion teased back.

"It's a rhyme. Forward march" ordered Serenity.

They continued, and luckily the water didn't get any deeper. Wherever they made movements, the light refracted and would turn different colors of the rainbow. The water was acting like a prism for the algae. Eventually, the water retreated, and they were back on dry ground. The glowing had stopped, and Endymion turned the flashlight back on again. Turning a corner, only a few meters away there seemed to be an exit. Jogging to it, Endymion went straight through a pair of arches. Serenity took a glimpse behind them. She saw that there were two jade Foo dogs. She couldn't tell if they were placed there to guard the entrance, or to keep people in.

Where they stood seemed to be outside, but there was no breeze or scent of fresh air, and their voices still echoed.

"We must be in a large cavern," Endymion said.

"Ya, but I swear I can see stars above us, don't you see them too? Maybe I am going crazy."

"No, I can see them too." Endymion set her down to lean against him. His arms and back were sore.

"Look over there." Serenity pointed upward. "That's the big dipper, and there's the little."

"This is getting freaky. We are in a cavern that shows the exact constellations as outside. The ancestors must have been geniuses, or complete cranks."

Serenity looked over at the man standing beside her. Kunzite wasn't being too overbearing. Looking at his face lit by the stars, she noticed how sculpted it was. He was actually quite handsome. His jaw line was strong, and his eyes looked like they could kill a person if they looked at you. While at the same time, there seemed to be a hidden compassion deep inside. How odd that she would notice his features in this place, they both looked like they just survived a hurricane; drenched from head to toe.

Endymion could feel Mina's eyes on him, turning towards her, her blue eyes were staring right at him. They seemed familiar, had they been in his dream? No, that didn't seem right. He knew that he remembered them from somewhere though. Abruptly, she started talking.. but he couldn't hear her.

"What?" he said. Her lips started moving again, then the look of confusion spread across her face.

She moved her mouth slowly, and he could read her lips saying, "I can't hear you."

Serenity started clapping her hands, they could both hear the echoes. Why can't he hear me? I can hear myself. There is some strange magic going on here, she concluded.

Endymion started saying something to Serenity, "I think that line in the poem about 'truly seeing' might be playing a role."

All Serenity could read out was, 'Thin we shine.. poem.. choosing roles.' She replied back, "I don't know what you're saying. Pronounce your words more clearly." He didn't seem to have any problems reading her lips.

He repeated his sentence, but along the way made some pretty grotesque and funny faces. If only she had a camera to capture them.

_Why was she laughing at him_, Endymion thought. They were getting nowhere, again. This girl must think we are playing a game. This was turning out to be ridiculous. Why should they be following a stupid rhyme anyway! It only half made sense. Where were they going to find three of anything in a cavern full of stars. He shut his eyes in frustration, and used his hand to rub his temples. A headache was starting to come upon him.

_He must be in deep thought_, thought Serenity. Following his lead, she closed her eyes as well. Oddly enough, it didn't seem like she closed her eyes. Reaching her hands up, she felt her eyes to double check that her senses weren't fooling with her. She felt her eyelashes, and her closed lids. Why could she still see? Looking around, she saw that Kunzite had completely disappeared. She was in the cavern all by herself. Studying the stars, she now saw that there were tiny lines connecting the twinkling lights. They were outlining the constellations! Opening her lids, she saw Kunzite again. Giving him a nudge, he looked at her. She motioned for him to close his eyes, and then to look up. She saw his initial shock, and then understanding. Together they searched the room for anything that correlated with 'three'.

There! Orions belt! Pointing it out to Kunzite, they went over to it. It was at head level, and arms length. Endymion made sure Mina would be alright by herself, and started walking towards the three lights. He was almost able to touch it when the floor opened up below him.

Serenity could hear Kunzite's scream in front of her. Now what? She half hopped, and half crawled to him. She couldn't see him, then looking closer she could see his fingertips. Moving as fast as possible, she grabbed his wrists.

"I've got you!" yelled Serenity. Endymion could hear her again.

This girl is not going to be able to lift me out of here, thought Endymion. He had no clue how far the drop was below, but he had a feeling it wasn't good.

"I don't think you've got me at all!" replied Endymion.

"Trust me, I've got you. Just because I have a sprained ankle doesn't mean I can't lift you out of here. Give me your hand."

He wasn't ready to let go of the curve, but Mina was his only chance. Reluctantly, he let go with one hand, and grabbed Mina's forearm. She started pulling him. Feeling less cautious, he let go completely. She kept trying to pull him out. Serenity started searching for more leverage. She could do this, she had trained with her dad when they had gone on all those adventures. She was going to save him.

The surface that Endymion was trying to climb up started to crumble away. It was like a small avalanche beneath him, and the hole he was in gradually grew bigger.

"Move back, let me go! We're both going to fall in!" he shouted at Mina.

"No! I'm not letting you go." Tears had started welling up, and began streaming down Serenity's face. She had to do this. Endymion began descending back into the hole. _No! I'm strong_, Serenity told herself, but she couldn't find any other way to get the man back up. There was only one other choice. She took a deep breath, and started to scoot forward towards the gaping mouth ready to consume her.

The two went tumbling into the chasm. They clung to each other, for they were all each other had.

* * *

Two still bodies laid unconscious on the cold floor. Endymion was the first to wake. Quickly rolling over to see Mina, he discovered they were on a black marble floor._ How had they survived that fall_? Putting his fingers to Serenity's neck, he checked for a pulse. She was still alive, blood was still flowing through her veins. He started to bend over her, he had no idea why. Maybe he felt like he was protecting her from whatever was to come next, and maybe he was being drawn to her like a child to their mother.

Small specks of light started to surround the two. Endymion looked up, and saw that the tears still fresh on Mina's face began floating up above them. They swirled closer and closer until they became a blue floating globe. Then a beckoning voice, coming from no distinct direction, called out to him.

"You, Prince Endymion of the Earth Kingdom, are you prepared to take upon yourself the duty to protect us; the people, the life, and the freedom of this world, this Galaxy?" The voice had no distinct gender, but contained a tone of prestige and long earned wisdom.

Endymion was speechless, he could only get himself to shake his head.

"Then I intrust you with this Globe, made from a sacred bond, the most powerful bond one may ever have. You must cherish it forever, until death. Make sure not to loose it, and keep it close to you. You must not let anyone destroy this power, or let it dwindle into the darkness."

"Y-y-yes. I promise to do as you say."

"You seemed hesitant. I am not willing to give such a gift to the unworthy. Are you worthy my son?"

"Yes. I promise to keep it close to me, and to use it in the name of the Earth Kingdom." He breathed in a gulp of air. "No one shall weaken it's power, and I will keep it close to my heart." Endymion said this into the empty air. In response, he could tell the being was satisfied.

"You then, take it."

The blue globe began to shrink to the size of a blue snowflake. Endymion reached his hands out to grab it, but it passed right through his fingertips. It continued down to Mina where it was absorbed by her body. Mina began to glow a warm blue, and then the light dissipated.

"I told you, take it," the voice repeated itself.

Endymion wrapped his arms around Serenity. She laid on his lap, and her eyes fluttered open. Her iris's were bluer then ever. Around the edges, an electric blue ring sparked. The realization that she was the weapon came to Endymion's mind.

* * *

Woah! I know that was one of the longer chapters, but once I got going.. I was gone. Lots of adventure! Ya! Next Chapter will be up soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Seeking Love

Chapter 12

The sky was turning a dark maroon, and Serenity opened her eyes to an ivory ceiling and a mural of a mermaid swimming in pink coral. Sitting up to a window cracked opened, and curtains blowing in a cool breeze welcomed Serenity back to the present. The moonlight streamed in layering the room in a incandescent glow. Looking around, she saw Kunzite slumped in the chair next to her bed. A slight amount of drool dribbling its way down his chin from the corner of the lip. _He's pretty cute... when he's asleep, _Serenity thought.

Slipping out of the warm bed, she took a fuzzy wool blanket to cover him. He was sleeping like a rock. Moving his onyx hair out of his eyes with her small hand, a hand shot up and wrapped around her wrist. Serenity jumped back in alarm, her heart beating outside of her chest.

"You're up I see," said Endymion. His eyes still closed.

"You gave me a scare! Don't do that!" Quickly grabbing a sweatshirt laying on a nearby table, Serenity pulled it on. The girl barely had any clothes covering her, and she wasn't even wearing a bra. Sitting back on the cushioned bed, Endymion re-positioned himself to sit straight up in his chair.

"How long have I been sleeping? Have you been here the whole time?" asked Serenity.

Endymion responded in a groggy, but soothing voice. "The others found us at the base of the grandparent tree." YAAAWWWN... "Said we were sleeping, but they couldn't wake us up. Carried us all the way back here, and called a doctor. That's when I finally woke up, and that was two days ago."

She noticed he hadn't answered her latter question, and let it blow to the wind. "The last thing I can recall... was spraining my ankle." Her feet moved in circles, they seemed fine now.

_So she doesn't remember, _Endymion thought looking disappointed. He didn't know what to do about the situation. Maybe it had all been a dream, an odd one at that.

"Where are the others?" Serenity asked.

"They're around. Couldn't find that weapon, so Ami and Zoisite started their own research on one. You'll have to ask them more about it when you see them. What they said went over my head. Something about DNA restructuring."

"Oh - sounds like them, always talking in scientific jargon. Good then." She let herself lay down on the bed again. Her body was still exhausted, it felt like she had run a marathon - without shoes.

Endymion's eyes caught the delicate curves of the woman's body. Her clothing draped around her waist and bosom. _What a strange strange girl_. "Hey," he stood up, "want to go somewhere with me?" he asked spontaneously.

Serenity opened her eyes again, the mermaid still staring back at her. Her body was telling her no, but her mind was sick of this room. "This sounds all too familiar, but okay, I'll join you on your little quest."

"I know, I promise we wont go looking for any lizards. How about you find some shoes.. and more decent clothing." He looked away in shame, the two layers of fabric were not enough to cover her budding chest.

* * *

The two walked through the silent dark halls. Serenity would have guessed that they were back at the capital with how familiar the place felt. Guess the Royal Family didn't have a knack for decorations. Serenity didn't say a word to Kunzite, she had no clue what to say. All she had on her mind was a lot of blank spaces. It wasn't true that her last memory was her sprained ankle, but the man would think her delirious if she said things about 'seeing with her eyes closed' or 'her trying to save him from falling into a hole.' She sounded loopy even to herself.

Endymion led Serenity to a large room. The walls were made of 100% glass. There weren't even seams to where one piece started, and another ended. Serenity could barely tell she was in a room. Endymion had brought the wool blanket with him, and started to roll it out on the marble floor. Laying down on it, he called the wistful girl over. "Come look."

Giving him an objective continence, she laid down next to him - but not too close. Serenity looked above them. A storm was brewing, dark gray and purple clouds had filled the night sky. Sparks of lightning flashed, leaving crooked lines of pink, green, and blue imprinted on her retinas. It was beautiful! It looked like a dance, a play, put on by the Gods. "Woooow," was all she could get out of her mouth. The sky was mesmerizing.

"I know, right? Just another place I let myself wander to when I was a boy."

"You seemed to always find yourself 'wandering' to strange places huh? Didn't you have any friends?" asked Serenity jokingly.

"I didn't." Endymion said in 'matter of fact' way. Serenity couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. He continued, "I didn't have many friends growing up. The only people I ever played with were the guardians, but we were sorta forced to. I was never outgoing, most people thought I was shy." Endymion rolled onto his side, his arm propping his head up, his eyes staring at Serenity.

"I would never have guessed that," she responded. "Whenever I talk to you, you sound like the master at being number one, an absolute elitist."

_The woman had to bring it up... _he rolled his eyes. "You judge all too quickly for my taste."

"You're taste? Who said I was judging? Observation, that's all."

"Can't you just be silent for once. You know, enjoy life."

"What, you think I don't enjoy life now?" Serenity sat up.

"I bring you here, and all you do is criticize my behavior. It's not like you really know me!" said Endymion, why did he even try.

"Think what you want. I just speak my mind, there shouldn't be anything wrong with that. I guess you just like your girls to keep everything to themselves, silent."

"I never said that." Endymion rolled around onto his back. This was getting ridiculous.

Serenity focused back onto the sky above her. The lightning began subsiding, and there hadn't even been light raindrops to run down the glass. "I'm sorry..." she puffed out. "Most people are use to me being so forward."

"It's alright. I guess it is hard to meet new people, since we've grown up with the same ones all our lives."

Serenity went through her memories growing up. Now that she put her mind to it, he was right. There was only ever Mina, Makoto, Rei, and Ami. She was always happy though, and that's why it never seemed odd to her until now that she had been so isolated.

"My name is Mina," Serenity sat up and held her hand out to Kunzite.

Endymion gave the girl a raised eyebrow.. "My name... is.. Kunzite," he said hesitantly. _A blank slate? _

"It is nice to meet you." They shook hands. Endymion wasn't ready to let go, the last time they touched - that he recalled - was when she was desperately trying to save him. Her hands were soft, surprising for a warrior. He brought her hands to his face, strawberries - of course. His other hand rose up and caressed her cheek. Now her eyes searched his in confusion. The spark ring was still there hugging her iris, a continuation of the lightning storm. It had all been real after all. _She has no clue what happened to us, _he pondered.

He felt a hand press against his chest, and then suddenly pushing him away breaking the entrancing spell.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Serenity.

"I-I... " he had no clue what to say. "I don't know" he said.

_He's back to his usual self. _"You were totally and completely trying to hit on me!" she said in astonishment and realization.

"No! No, that's not it."

"Mhmmm?" Like she'd believe that for a second. "I might not have had many friends growing up, but I know men."

"It's not like that!" Endymion protested.

"Better luck next time," she scoffed. "I'm going back. I bet everyone else is worried sick about us." She stood up, and sauntered back where they'd come from.

_What an odd woman that Mina girl_. She wore so many different faces. Endymion wondered if he would ever have the chance to see past her hard shell exterior. He started to feel a pull towards her. He didn't know what it was, definitely not passion, more like a strong curiosity and longing understanding.

* * *

Year: 22nd century, 50th Earth Cycle

"Barricade those entrances," a man in a dark black uniform yelled at his men. Gun shots rang out in the distance, an explosion went off a few miles to the east. A little boy, probably 5 years of age, looked up at the bottom of the man's boots. He'd been hiding in the sewage tunnels since the announcement of evacuation spread, 6 hours. The boys hair had grown past his ears, and brushed against the back of his neck. Mud, and other unthinkable bodily secretion covered his torn clothes and poorly fitted shoes. Hugging his knees to his chest, he kept a piece of cloth wrapped around his mouth to keep out the stench, and to quiet his breathing.

The man passed, and more black shoes stomped on the grate above him sending more debris down. The boy closed his eyes, trying to think of better times. A caretaker making him fresh waffles with strawberries syrup drizzled on top. His stomach grumbled, he hadn't had a scrap of food in two days. He waited by the drains to scavenge for decent edible trash. Since he could remember, he'd been on his own. There were some adults who would give him life advice, or treat him like a temporary son, but he always ended up back on the streets. He might of only been 5, but he knew well enough what was going on, he had to – to survive. "To each his own." An old crippled woman had said to him, weeping on the street corner shaking out an empty can.

"Hey, hey you!" a whisper from the darkness. "Ya, you boy." A face came out of the shadows, another boy with a hanky held to his nose. "How long ya been down here? Any luck?"

His visitor looked to be two years older then him, lanky legs and arms. No meat to speak of on his bones. Looked like he was in the same state as him, homeless and hungry.

"Nah, no food been here for days."

"Hmm.. Stand up," the other boy ordered.

"I'm not a dog."

"Get up," the older repeated.

Warily, he stood up. The other looked him over. Grabbed at a few pieces of his clothing. "You'll do. If you want to live, follow me."

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you? As I see it, your gonna die here anyway."

The two boys went into the darkness, and came upon a barred gate. "See here, you're gonna go through that gap, get to the end of the tunnel. Walk up the ladder, and go get us some food."

"There's no way I'm going to fit through there." The space was only a half a foot wide. "How'd you know I'm gonna bring back the food anyway?" he asked the stranger.

"Cus. There ain't any other way out. Now go! You only got a few minutes."

"Fine." He saw no other way for this to play out.

He put one arm through the gate. His shoulder passed through, his foot. He started struggling when he tried to get his hips through. Taking a deep breath in, he popped out on the other side.

"Good, now get goin."

He tried to run as fast as he could, he barely had any energy left when he found the ladder with his hands. Climbed upwards, the stench started disappearing, and was replaced with fresh baked bread and meats. Checking the area, he saw no one, Scrambling up out of the hole, he saw loaves all around him. He had to be by the royal kitchens. Grabbing a roll, he stuck it in his mouth. He shoved whatever else he could in his clothing, down his pants, in his shirt, wherever. Climbing back down the ladder, he made it back the grate.

"Hand me the bread," the stranger said.

How was he suppose to trust this other boy. The thought crossed him that the older would run away once he gave him the goods. Why not just eat all the bread here? - but that would take time. He'd have to give the bread up, or he wouldn't fit back through. He handed the bread over. The other boy didn't run.

Squeezing back through, the stranger gave him a pat on the back. "Nice, I guess we can be friends now huh?" there was a smile on his face.

"Ya" he said disconcertingly, "I guess we can." It had been a long time since he last remembered anyone giving him a smile.

"Whacha name kid?"

"Taki."

"Nice to meet'cha Taki." He put his hand out like an adult, a shake to seal the deal.

* * *

Present Day

Hearing familiar voices, she followed them to a room with a warm fire blazing. She saw that Mina, the Prince, Makoto, Rei, Jadeite, and Nephrite were all drinking something toasty in ceramic mugs. Taking a seat next to Rei, she was welcomed with a big hug from her friend.

"You're finally up! We thought you were turning into sleeping beauty!" Rei exclaimed.

"You feeling alright gurl?" asked Makoto.

"Ya, I'm doing fine. Just tired," replied Serenity.

"You're up!" Ami and Zoisite had just walked in to join the group. She ran over to Serenity and planted a kiss on her cheek. Ami rarely showed emotion, but when it came to Serenity - she was the worry wart.

"Good news everyone, we can go back!" said Kunzite.

"Bad news, we can't go back until tomorrow," finished Zoisite.

"Why? What's the hold up?" asked Makoto.

"Since we failed to find the weapon in the woods, Ami and I have been busy creating a new weapon of our own," said Zoisite. Serenity remembered Kunzite telling her about this..

"We just finished!" added on Ami. Stars were in her eyes, she looked like Mina when she finally got her hands on a new designer purse. "We've calculated, designed, and are in the process of building a variety of new weapons to fight not only the Lacerta Dauthus, but also any other demon we'll face. The downside, it's going to take another day to complete though."

"How is it suppose to defeat other demons, it wont be specialized?" asked Rei.

"That's the genius of it all. It all has to do with DNA. All living things have underlying coding, like a computer chip. As long as we have a sample of DNA from our target, the weapon recodes to break apart the DNA strands," explained Ami, "Kills it instantly. One shot."

"Wow! That's so cool, I knew you two had it in you," congratulated Mina.

Ami and Zoisite beamed at each other. One would have to guess that the two hadn't been doing only research in that lab of theirs.

"Did you two think about what would happen if it got in the wrong hands? If it can recode to any DNA strand, couldn't it be used against us?" asked Serenity, she had to play devils advocate.

"If we don't let it get into the wrong hands, we wont have that problem," said Nephrite.

"I think Serenity has a point," said Endymion. He had been standing in the doorway, sneaky as always.

_He's taking my side? That's another first, _thought Serenity.

"I think I could put a safety on our design. Something that will make it self destruct if we want it to," suggested Zoisite.

"I have a better idea, we could have our DNA activate the devices. It would need our own personal blood to turn on, but that would mean no need to worry about it being in the wrong hands." said Ami.

"Let's collect some blood then," said Zoisite.

"Since we have another day on Nephros, I think we deserve a 'real vacation'" Kunzite said. "Whose up for a swim, some watermelon, and sun?"

* * *

Thanks for the reviews everyone! :D You are all keeping me strong! Also, sorry if you got double notifications for chapter uploads, I saw waaay too many mistakes, and my OCDness called for me to fix them.


	13. Chapter 13

Seeking Love

Chapter 13

Trekking back into the woods, the group was headed to a nearby hot spring. Serenity and the girls followed Kunzite, the rest of the boys following behind. Nephrite and Jadeite were lugging the watermelons, and Endymion was stuck with a backpack cooler. Makoto ran ahead of the group once they got closer, and she noted a torn down castle structure, it had been reclaimed by nature. Vines had been growing throughout it, and wildflowers sprouted from the windows. Beyond the relic, was the hot spring with a 40 meter cascading waterfall.

"Finally, we made it" Jadeite was out of breath, and put down the watermelons. They might look small, and be 90% water, but they were heavy.

"Wooo!" screamed Makoto at the top of her lungs. She was already ripping off her clothes, revealing a silver monokini. She grabbed Rei's hand, and dragged her to the edge of the water, eventually diving in. Ami stayed on the side, she was deep in discussion with Zoisite on the various animal and plant communities in the area.

Serenity stood by Mina, she hated wearing swimsuits, especially around guys. It wasn't that it made her feel self-conscious, but it was the fact that two pieces of fabric turned a woman into a piece of meat to be gawked at, it infuriated her. Trying to be sneaky, she slipped behind a bush near the edge of the water hole, and took her cover off there. Dipping a foot in, the water was gratifyingly hot. The steam rose above to her calves, and she let the rest of her body in. She instantly felt relaxed and on her way to being refreshed. _Thank You Goddess of Comfort!_

"AHHHHH-YA-YAAAAAAA!" she heard someone yelling like a monkey. A body was flying through the air, and started falling - towards her like a bomb. Water splashed up into her face, and she lost her footing, sending her under the steamy surface.

"You look like a wet cat!" Endymion flipped his wet hair to the side. He was the one to blame for the annoying disturbance. Serenity's face was twisted into a wild anger. Wading over to him, she yelled, "You've got to ruin everything!" and brought both of her arms out of the water – sending a wall of hot water into his face.

"Are you challenging me Miss. Mina? Because, I'll let you in on a little secret, the boys and I always win."

"Challenging you to what?" asked Serenity, deeply confused. All she wanted was peace and quiet.

"To capture the flag!" responded Endymion. Raising his arms up in excitement, his defined biceps and triceps showing off to the world.

A long time burning for competition ignited in Serenity's heart. _Fool, he didn't know what was coming for him._ "It's on! Earth vs. Moon. Losers have to streak naked all the way back home."

"Fine!" agreed Endymion. "Boys! We're going to war!" he hollered out.

Mina gave Serenity a confused look. Serenity responded with a single nod of satisfaction, the cocky bastard was going down!

* * *

"Coast is clear, over," Makoto reported over a walkie talkie. The girls base was at the highest point of the overgrown castle, the boys at the top of the waterfall. Watermelons were used as the flags, a different colored X on each for the two teams. Serenity and Ami had come up with the perfect strategy to infiltrate the boy's camp. Mina would stand guard over the melon, Ami would be surveillance for the castle, Makoto, Rei and Serenity were tasked with climbing to the top of the waterfall.

"I read you, no sign of them at home. Step one proceed, over and out," Mina let her hand off the walkie trigger.

Jadeite and Endymion had covered themselves in mud as camouflage. Army crawling across the ground, they had put leaves on their backs, and moved a few inches every few minutes. They needed to get past the castle wall without anyone noticing them. It would be a slow attack, but that's what they were hoping their 'enemy' wasn't counting on.

Makoto, Rei, and Serenity were also hiding, but nowhere on land - in the water. They swam all the way to the base of the waterfall, and were now directly beneath it. Taking gasps of air from holding their breaths for so long, Rei threw an anchor upwards, succeeding on the 2nd try.

"I've got one in my sight, Ami called over the hand-held system. I'm going in to intercept." Flying out of a window, she pounced on top of a pile of leaves. She couldn't believe they were using this snail strategy, didn't they know that only worked on dumb guards. Jadeite's face popped out from beneath her knees, smiling. The trap had sprung. A net grabbed both of them, and launched them into the air.

"Well, this isn't awkward. ~ Hello Jadeite~" Ami said, her words coated in sarcasm, she was looking straight at his ass.

"Sorry, soldiers got to do what a soldiers got to do," Endymion rushed under the netting, and entered the castle to start climbing up the stairs to the top, to the prize.

One hand over the other, Makoto climbed the rope. She started pumping to get the rope swaying side to side. Getting close enough to reach the rocks on her right, she leaped out; rock climbing had always been her strong suit. Scaling the side, she came across Nephrite, he was oblivious to her presence. He was also standing in a pool of water. She let her pointer finger send a small electric current in his direction, not enough to hurt him – just enough to knock him out. Moving forward to check his pulse, Zoisite came out of nowhere and called her out of the game by giving her a good slap on the arm.

This left Rei and Serenity on the rope. They heard Makoto cry out in frustration. "Princess" Rei whispered. "I have an idea." She started throwing energy balls downward, and this created a denser steam. "Go! I'll keep you covered!" Serenity climbed to the top of the rope. Rei had created plenty of coverage for her entrance, but she couldn't see anything farther then her hand outstretched in front of her. Crouching down, she started searching for the watermelon.

Endymion reached his last step on the spiraling staircase. He didn't remember there being so many. Staying close to the wall, he moved towards the opening to the roof. Using his knife's reflection, he checked the rooftop. The Princess was sitting on a stone, legs crossed, and fixing her hair? _Seriously? The Princess wasn't even trying to play._ He checked his options on attack. It would be best to just charge her, do a few fakes, and slip around her to win.

_It has to be here somewhere!_ Serenity kept feeling around while on her hands and knees. This was not the way to a proud victory. Right before she was about to set her hand back down, she saw two bare feet inches away from her. Holding her breath, she looked around frantically. It couldn't end this way!

"WINNER!" announced Nephrite. All those who had been captured had gathered at the bottom of the water pool.

"I knew we would win!" Serenity said, jumping up and down in triumph with her girls.

Endymion had underestimated the Princess's abilities. He had rushed towards her for the green melon, but had tripped over invisible chains. He could only think of the chunk missing from his honor. How was he going to face running all the way back, ass naked?

"You all cheated! Every single one of you used your powers!" whined Jadeite.

"You never said we couldn't!" Rei retorted back.

"Let's go eat some watermelon, good game girls" said Kunzite settling everyone down. "We'll think about our punishment later."

Later...

Five pairs of clothes were piled at the start of the trail. The girls were falling over laughing. Hearing the boys yelping and hollering through the woods was a memory not to forget.

* * *

The fun had ended the stay on Nephros all too quickly. Before everyone knew it, they were docked back at the Earth's capital. Most had opted for an afternoon nap, but Serenity had other plans. It had been days since she had last seen Takeshi, and she knew she'd be returning back to the Moon soon.

She escaped through the rings just like last time, she had no clue where to find him. The feeling in the air was different then the last. Barely anyone was on the streets, and there was built up sewage around the drains. She walked out by the docks, the stench of old fish filled her noise. She checked the green house, no luck. She even went to the fountain where they first met, no sign of Takeshi. _I must be a deranged fool, like I'd find one person in this huge city! _she shook her head. Serenity began walking back to the palace.

"Do you have proper I.D. Miss?" the guard asked her. There was no family to sneak in with this time.

"No.." What was she suppose to say! "..but I need to talk with the Prince you see." She gave the guard her most innocent smile she could muster.

The guard only laughed in her face. "That's what they all say, back out onto the streets with you."

How dare he! Serenity was about to let her built up store of aggravation out on him. She couldn't let a man talk to her like this! Least a guard dog! Hmph! She was rolling up her sleeves.

"Serena?" a voice asked behind her.

_Takeshi?_ She turned around, and there he stood. Perfect as ever. Every strand of hair in the perfect spot, his eyes full of conjecture upon the world and an aptitude to float above it all.

"Need help there? What do you need with the Prince?" he asked.

"Takeshi! Oh – it's nothing." Her rage subsided. Her hand automatically started playing with the back of her head in embarrassment, her head tilted to the side. "I'm so glad to see you. I was looking for you, and see, well, I'm sorry I disappeared like I did."

"I've been worried about you," his soft eyes looked down on her. "One night we're together under the stars, and then you disappear, and I don't see you for days! I thought I'd done something wrong."

"No, it was nothing like that. I've just... been busy," _Hiding out on a floating island and all. "_It turns out I'm going to be heading back home in a while though."

"Oh...can I escort you?" his eyes lit up.

Serenity sighed. "Not that home silly, my home back on the Moon."

His eyes shifted to the side in disappointment. "I thought we would have more time together."

GAH! She wasn't ready for this, and she had no clue what her heart was telling her, but she went with it - it hadn't steered her wrong as of yet.

"I know we've only just met, but you and me - we work, I feel like... I've known you all my life, and well, I want... I want this feeling to last forever. I mean, I don't know how you feel, but I think it might work. It would have to be..." Takeshi cut her off.

He wrapped her in his arms, and pulled her close. "It would have to be long distance. I know."

Takeshi was staring right at her. Not just at her face, but deep into her soul. Beyond her outer skin, and truly seeing her. It was as if there were just two souls standing in those streets, she had never felt this connected to a man before.

"Let me take you out to eat, back into the city." His hand held her small innocent face.

Serenity couldn't do anything but agree, and off they went – a one way ticket to cloud nine.

* * *

"So, how have you been feeling lately? How was your trip to Nephros?" asked a bald man in a maroon suit, he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose.

"Umm... it was interesting. I don't know how to describe all that went on," responded Endymion. He had finally made an appointment with his therapist. Not only was the man his therapist, he was the one who organized his closet; the fashion designer. He guessed that a sense of fashion might have tie-ins with a sense of psychological therapy, it had so far.

"Lets start from the beginning shall we. Drink your tea." The man put a sugar cube in his own cup, and stirred the liquid around. Not a drop sloshed out of the cup.

"Okay. Well, everyone got there, and then we went on our search for the weapon... and then.. this might sound unbelievable, but I went through this cave at the bottom of this giant tree, with this girl Mina, and we fell into this hole where she tried to save me. She couldn't though, and then this spirit thing started talking to me out of nowhere, and there was this blue globe that she absorbed, did I mention there were glowing caterpillars and foo dog statues where we couldn't hear each other?" He got faster and faster as he spoke, a plug in the drain finally being released.

Sir. Baldy's face stayed the same. No growing eyes, no interested eye movements. Just simple nods like everything coming out of Endymion's mouth was as usual. "Go on..."

"You want me to go on? What do you have to say about what I just said?" asked Endymion.

"Go On," the man said more firmly.

The man always had a weird way with his 'science.' "So this girl, Mina is her name - did I tell you that? Well she doesn't remember any of it, and I don't know if I should say anything. I haven't even told my guardians. I don't know why... it's odd. At one point in time, we had been watching a lightning storm, and I felt this connection to her. I still don't know what it was, but then Mina gets on my nerves like no other! She always has something to say, and whatever she says is so blunt and annoyingly true! It's like she never learned the art of conversation as a child!"

"What do you say to her, this Mina?"

"I say... nice things." He rolled the idea in his head. "Okay, I don't really remember what things, but they aren't mean - or suppose to be mean. I just tease her, and she doesn't know how to lighten up."

"I see..." More nods. Hopefully of understanding, and not boredom. "Let's move to this other girl. Natsumi?"

"Natsumi, she's a mystery still. The first time I met her, she was this striking figure in the crowd. We've had small talk, but that's about it on that front. She instills.. passion in me." He had never been the type to be sexual, not since the nightmares.

"Mmm... do you feel a connection between her, and your dreams perhaps? Maybe it is time for you to let yourself let go a little. Stop being the Prince, and become a growing man; experience the world for what it is - if I may say so sir."

"Maybe I'll go see Natsumi tonight. I should check up on her since the Spring Festival incident."

A knowing smile spread on the psychologist. "Oh - also, in your letter to me, you mentioned a discontinuation in your memory a few nights before the Princess arrived. Have you found any leads?"

"No. I remember green velvet, but none of the coachmen have said anything about me going out that night. It is at a standstill."

"If you have the time, we can try a go at hypnotism."

"Sorry doc, but maybe later. You got me on this Natsumi hangup, and that's what's on my mind right now. I'll come in, in a few days k?"

"Just remember Prince, don't mistake passion for something else like love. They are on the border of one another, but they are nothing alike. You might be feeling a resistance to let your feelings for a certain person show, due to your late mother passing, but I wanted to give you fair warning to keep hold of not overlook the consequences of your actions. As for the blue glowing weapon, I have a feeling you'll find the right time to reveal it with another, in the right time."

* * *

The sun was setting, it was the end of another day. The docks were busy, sailors scuffling about moving goods. Captains trying to decide if the tide was right for take off. So much noise and work that nobody saw Takeshi against the wall.

"Shes got it!" He was furiously talking to somone hiding in the shadows. "I saw it in her eyes. The Princess trusts me completely, I just need more time. She's in the palm of my hand, but I can't rush things."

"Oh really Taki?" a voice responded. A clawed hand reached out and pressed against his chest. "Well, unfortunately, that's not how the master sees it. He's sick of your disobedience, and he's ordered for me to move things along. Don't worry friend, it won't hurt, not for too long." The claw sunk into his flesh, a venom started dispersing throughout his body. He cried out into the night, the sound of a wild animal echoed through the alleyways.

* * *

And it looks like the end of another Chapter. I'd thought I'd throw something more upbeat in there before we got too serious into the plot. Looking ahead though, I see an action scene brewing...


	14. Chapter 14

Seeking Love

Chapter 14

Serenity was practically skipping through the halls, her ponytails bouncing from her evening out.

"Good Evening Mina, you look quite joyful" said Kunzite.

"Good Evening Prince Endymion!" She had run into him at the end of the corridor. "I went out into the city, fresh air and all. Couldn't stand being indoors any longer."

"Really? Did you enjoy yourself? Hopefully you didn't get lost in those rings of ours," he sounded truly concerned. He knew that those streets could be dangerous, especially for a woman.

"No, I found my way around. Felt myself getting hungry, and was searching for some of that 'real' Earth food."

"Ahh.." he said elated. "That's not where to find it. If you want authentic meals, you go to the kitchen – the leftovers is where it's at," he smiled.

Now that Serenity took a moment to pause about it, she hadn't spent any time with the Prince. The chance never came up since he was always with Mina, but this was the perfect chance that finally presented itself to her.

"If you'd care to join me, I'm actually heading to the kitchen for a night snack anyway. It's a good way for me to get my mind off things."

"I'd love to. We can get to know each other better. I haven't really had much interaction with anyone, well - except Kunzite. Other then that, busy looking after the Princess and all."

Kunzite laughed. _If only this protector knew who she really had been spending her time with._ "Come along then, maybe I can change your views of how men act here on Earth."

Sitting on a wooden stool, weird tubed shaped noodles covered in a thick yellow sauce sat in front of Serenity. Poking at it with her fork, it jiggled. _What is this? Is it really edible?_

As if reading her mind, Kunzite bellowed, "BonAppétit! Homemade Mac & Cheese. It might not look like anything special, but it's the Pr.. it's my favorite dish." _Almost slipped up.. whew._

Putting a few noddles into her mouth, the cheese sauce coated her tongue. A creamy texture and addicting cheddar flavor turned her stomach muscles on again. She had eaten with Takeshi, but this was worth another siting. Her metabolism sucked out anything in her stomach anyway.

"So, in truth, what do you think about this fair city of mine?" asked Kunzite.

"The truth? Hmm... in all honesty?" Kunzite nodded Serenity onward. "What I've seen so far is your people are all tied together through a deep bond, your history between the common people and the royalty. However, there is also a distinct separation of classes; the walls and all. Other things - I was surprised to see your streets so busy, and also to mention clean. From what I've seen of your docks, trade isn't too bad. Your technology advancements, as seen through Zoisite, are improving, but I don't see them being implemented into the daily workforce." She took another bite of her pasta.

"Wow, you are quite perceptive," Kunzite said surprisingly. "Not many would have noted all of that on such a short visit here. I'm glad though. Only because... it was not that way not long ago." Kunzite started cleaning used dishes. "The King, you see, was a fair ruler. He brought many continents together and created the U.E.N.P, United Earth Non-Agression Pact. That was in his early days. However, once the Queen died, it left a scar in him and on this planet. It seemed like he gave up on everything, and then the council was created in order to fill his shortcomings. Many 'unsettling' laws were put into place, many that have now been overturned, but it's been a slow healing process."

"I had no clue," said Serenity. She did know about the Earth's government unfair look over the classes, but had no idea that it was because the Queen died. The King must have loved her very much, but how could he just give up on his people. "Question Prince.." Serenity started.

"Go ahead," Kunzite looked at her with trusting eyes.

She continued, "How do you feel about ruling with my Princess?"

"From what I've seen, I think we would rule strongly together. She is this burst of life.. and," Kunzite looked up at the doorway – Endymion, as always, leaned against the frame, arms folded. He was always good at sneaking in on people's conversations.

"You two seem invested, please – don't let me interrupt," Endymion said. He meandered into the kitchen, also looking for left overs, but not expecting company.

"The Princess, how does she feel about the engagement.. let me in behind the veil." Kunzite said, changing the subject.

"Hmmmph," Serenity caught a noodle in her throat. _What did she think?_ "She seems... confused at the moment. Not quite sure where she stands. If it is with her people, or her heart. In all honesty, she needs more time," she said hurriedly.

"I thought the Princess was decisive, always knew what she wanted?" butted in Endymion.

"She is, on ruling. This is another matter," Serenity said.

"I agree actually, it would make me wary if she fell for me the instant she saw me," said Kunzite.

_If only you knew, _thought Endymion and Serenity at the same time.

"I better get back to bed. Thank you for the 'left-overs' Endymion," Serenity curtsied.

"You're perfectly welcome" Kunzite said with a bow in return.

"What was all that!" asked Endymion after Serenity left the room.

"I was just asking her about how she felt about Earth. She had a lot of positive and constructive things to say."

"No, what were you saying about the Princess! Don't forget, you.. well I, am NOT marrying her. Don't let your feelings get too tangled up in this," ordered Endymion._ He hated being so harsh, but it was the only way to keep his men in line. _"By the way, I'm leaving for the night. Take care of things here would you."

* * *

Lights were off in the palace, and everyone had gone to bed. The white disc in the sky had waned to a new moon over the few nights. Puffs of smoke from chimneys filled the stagnant night air. From the north, a shadow in the sky soared through the silence, and began circling the palace grounds; a predator claiming its prey. Black webbed wings spanning 4 meters protruded out of the creature's back. Purple eyes scanned the terrain for security, teeth barred in hunger. It was time.

* * *

It's time, Endymion let out a sigh of nerves. He had knocked on the door, and was now fidgeting with his hair until she answered. Light streamed out into the street, Natsumi stood in the opening. Eyebrow raised, she grabbed his collar, and pulled him into her room. He didn't get a chance to get a word in, her lips had covered his. Her hands began scavenging his body.

"Wait, wait. We can't do this again. This isn't what I want." He pushed her off of him. She was a temptrice, that was for sure. "What happened to you? I remember this intelligent woman, but since the spring festival.. you've been like this," Endymion said.

"This is me Darien. Can't you let a girl have some fun? I've missed you, its been days." She closed the gap between them. Their lips locked again,her lips tasted like cherries. Her tongue tangoed with his, and her teeth pulled on to his bottom lip. Endymion let his fingers roam to her body tight tank top. Her groans rumbled into his ears. His body began to react to her persistence, he felt heat emanating from all over. His shirt was thrown off, and Natsumi's hands were busy on his buckle. The zipper slid down, and her fingers traced the elastic of his boxers. This all just on the other side of the entrance door. Natsumi looked up at him in question for permission. Those blue eyes... reminded him of Mina.

Buzz... Buzz...zzz... a vibration in his pocket. His phone. Natsumi got the electronic out, and handed it to him. He was looking at new text. "GET HERE NOW! EMERGENCY!" It was from Kunzite. _Damn it!_

Natsumi had pulled away, knowing that their party was over. "Looks like we'll have to wait 'til next time."

"I'm sorry." Endymion began buttoning up his shirt. "I've got to go, someone needs me." He couldn't shake the mixed feelings from his mind. Natsumi gave him a peck on the cheek, and he rushed back out the door.

* * *

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! CHHHHSSSSSSS!

Glass fragments shattered everywhere, the monster had found its way in. The thing landed crouched in the middle of the Princess's quarters, the last remnants of the skylight mixed with the beast's hair. Instinct told it to move fast, someone had to have heard the noise. Going for the first door it saw, it tore through. The bed had been slept in, but turned out empty.

"You think you can just come in and sneak up on me, ruining my peaceful sleep! Think again! In the name of the Moon! I will punish you!" A girl in bunny slippers and a nightgown, holding a baton – her weapon raised, shouted at the creature. Serenity's sailor scouts came rushing in from the other doorways.

"Maaaars... Juuuupiter... Meeercuuury... Veeeenus... Poooowweer! MAKE UP!" The girls were already in fighting positions ready to take down the dreadful demon. It was not the lizard from before, but a new feen, in the form of a bat.

"Give me the Princess!" it demanded. Each word short and choppy.

"As if we would give her up so easily," Makoto said.

"Fine, then we do it the hard way," it snickered. The monster started moving, and fast. The soldier's could barely keep their eyes on it. It was a moving shadow.

"We need to slow it down guys!" said Rei.

"How are we suppose to do that?" asked Mina, at her wit's end.

The soldiers surrounded their Princess, but they weren't quick enough to see the next attack. The form had flown up above the circle of protectors, and had a straight shot of its target. Spiraling down towards the blonde meatball head, it roared in delight. But right before it was able to touch a hair, an unforeseen force bounced the bat onto the opposite wall.

"Didn't see that one coming! Don't you know? For every action - there is an equal and opposite reaction" said Ami. She had put up a bubble barrier around them, it was acting as a shield.

"Hurry, while we've got the advantage!" Makoto yelled. She wasn't going to fall short on this fight. She flung a flurry of bolts towards the mammal. The smell of singed flesh filled the air. The creatures purple eyes were bulging in rage, sharp fangs were exposed chomping into the empty air, it was prepared for a second round.

"No you don't!" Rei shot multiple darts of fire at the stumbling creature. Half of them missed their target, but the ones that made it – made a difference; wounds in the chest, and legs were evident. Crumpling to the ground, the creature gave out a high toned shriek, a call of defeat.

Makoto buzzed the thing with another shock to check if it was still breathing, it was a mistake. The monster's wings spread out in the room, its back arching in fury. Air waves created by the flapping wings knocked Ami and Makoto to their knees. It was going to escape! Mina flung out her golden chain, just catching the ankle. It flung back towards the ground. Books fell from the shelves, mirrors cracked, and the creature moaned in agony.

"You're turn Princess," called Rei.

"Moooon Princeeeess HAAALATION!" yelled Sailor Moon. The demon bat, wriggled on the ground. It's chest rose in the air, and another high pitched scream escaped it's mouth. Collapsing back down to the floor, the body started transforming. The fangs retreated, the skin and wings started falling off. A naked man laid on the floor, wounds seeping from the center of the chest and left thigh.

_OH MY GOD!_ Serenity covered her eyes, and fell to her knees. She knew that raven hair, those hands, that face... How could this happen? Why? _WHY TAKESHI!_

Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoisite rushed into the room, minutes too late. Turning on the lights, they witnessed the destruction the battle reaped. Rushing to the scouts, they checked for injuries, and Kunzite inspected the injured man. A doctor came to heal wounds, and Takeshi ended up in a high impact cell. Serenity was left in confusion and tears. She had no injuries, no injuries that could be fixed by a doctor. She felt empty inside, something was missing - it was her heart, it'd just been clawed out.

* * *

Fight scene 2! - Complete. Hopefully, the pace isn't too slow, or too fast. Trying to keep the story real, but not bore everyone along. Next installation coming soon. Now for those who are really into critiquing stories, I ask of you this: What do you honestly think about the writing style in the last few chapters? I've been writing more then ever, but I'm hoping I haven't gotten boring or sloppy. Any input is welcome! Thanks again for reading :D


	15. Chapter 15

Seeking Love

Chapter 15

_When one walks alone - he is no one, for there is no one to know of his existence. _

_ -Star seer A34BE_

"Where were you!" scolded Kunzite. His fist pounded down on the desk in font of him.

Endymion sat back in his chair at the library. His was a fluster of confusion; overwhelmed with the trillion threads of thoughts spinning through the brain of his. "I came as fast as I could, what was I suppose to do?" He raised his hands up in defense.

"You're suppose to be a Prince!" said Nephrite. "The leader of this kingdom. I know you've had a lot on your plate lately, but what do you think the King and the council are going to say about this?"

"I don't need a lecture Nephrite!" Endymion hollered back, throwing a pen at his face - the next item would be a book.

"I think you do! What were you doing?" asked Jadeite.

"The Moon Kingdom is going to be up in arms about this fiasco," Zoisite added on, his forehead furrowed.

"Good! Then they might as well revoke this engagement while they're at it!" Endymion knew he was acting like a spoiled brat, but there nothing else to say. It was how he handled all his problems when he couldn't face the consequences. He hated himself for that.

"Think about what you just said! Do you hear yourself? You don't want that, deep down, you know without the Moon Kingdom – you wouldn't be able to continue your projects in the lower rings," said Kunzite.

Turning away from his guardians, his eyes focused on a blank spot on the wall. It kept their voices tuned out long enough for him to calm down.

"News, we're heading back to the Moon boys," stated Mina as the five girls marched into the room. Her face in honest irritation. "With this last attack, the Moon council wants us back at home. Plus, we're taking the m-mons.. the thing, back with us. It falls under our jurisdiction, if you have a problem with that - check your legal books."

"My deepest apologies Princess," Kunzite rushed to Mina's side, a hand resting on her shoulder to show his grievance. "If only we'd been there sooner."

"We were fine without you," retorted Serenity. She removed the man's hand from her guardian. "If only your guards weren't sleeping on the job, maybe we could have prevented this."

"Our guards weren't sleeping! The attack couldn't have been foreseen!" Endymion rose from his chair. He wasn't going to stand for these accusations.

"Sit back down," Kunzite ordered. He knew he'd reap the consequences of his words later.

"You, don't understand anything!" shouted Serenity in Endymion's face. "All you care about is your fancy lifestyle! How I see it, I don't see how Prince Endymion keeps you around, you're a lazy sack on a log!" Her face was red, for the first time on the trip it was due to the pure agitation rushing through her veins. She was a volcano finally erupting under the pressure. "And as for you.. Prince, your generosities these past weeks have been graciously given, but it is an empty excuse for your guardian's lack of character. Thank you for your apologies, but there isn't much the planet of Earth can do for us now." Her word were a hot whip splitting the air.

"We will be leaving in the morning on the first flight back to the moon," announced Mina. She gave the Prince a look of remission as she curtsied out of the room.

* * *

Mina was trying to get Serenity to talk to her while her Princess was busily stuffing clothes into any space available in the suitcase on the bed. Most of the thrown garments missed their target, and had ended up strewn across the floor. It was clear that Serenity was looking for something to do to keep her busy, the servants had been dismissed from the job. Having connected the dots from Takeshi to the monster – no one knew what should be said to their leader.

Serenity's brain had shut down. Her walls were being re-built at lightning speeds around her heart. Takeshi had left her vulnerable to his weapons of emotions, how stupid was she to let him into her life. She wanted to yell at him, to throw every sharp and heavy object she had at him, but then she thought about his kisses, their talks. _Was he a monster? Or a man?_ Her memories kept biting chunks out of her sanity. This whole trip had been a waste of her time, as she originally suspected it was. At least now she had real proof to take back to the Queen and the council. This disaster had to blow the engagement to shreds, it had to.

"Excuse me, Princess.. I know you wanted me leave you alone, but I thought you'd ought to know. I talked to Nephrite, and he said it would be alright if you talked to the prisoner," Mina said, her hand on Serenity's arm.

Serenity's functioning as a buzzing bee finally ceased, and she sat on the one empty space on the bed. "I'm scared.. I'm truly scared." Her body trembled, her eyes were red, but no tears came.

"I think.. it would be good for you. To get everything off your chest, he will just keep digging at you if you don't face him."

"You're right. You are always right Mina." She leaned against her friend, letting her head sit on her shoulder. Mina moved herself to enclose the Princess in her arms.

* * *

Takeshi was a stone lumped onto a cot in the center of a white washed room. Someone, a nurse, clothed him in a rough paper made jumper. He could hear the buzzing energy coming from the lights which filled the spherical prison, there was no apparent source. He tried to keep his eyes clammed shut, and his mind focused on the healing of his body. He had been trained to let the pain in, in order to let it dull faster. His awareness of time had become distorted, no clue how long he had been transformed or how long he had been in the cell. Remarkably, even in this state his whole body had relaxed, and his mind was at peace. He failed in his mission, failed his master, and he was a dead man sitting on ice. Why did he feel so elated? Rooted in his gut, he knew the reason. His last strand connected to humanity laid with the Princess, and she was still alive.

Serenity had put her cloak on and discretely walked down to the dungeons. A guard let her through, she stated that her business there was to interrogate the prisoner, one white lie... upon another. _Did that make it a real lie?_

She saw him, now a weakling on a slab. She didn't know what to do, to say. Half of her wanted to go ask if he was alright, and to check his bandages for infection. The other was scared of who he was, he had tried to kill her after all, he had used her innocence against her.

"Wake up," Serenity ordered.

"I'm awake Princess, just resting my eyes from the bleating light!" Takeshi called back to her.

"Don't call me Princess here."

"Why? Do you still feel like Serena?" he teased. His mouth couldn't decide if he should smile or not. Takeshi had made his way over to the pane of glass that let Serenity see him.

"No! Just answer my questions. Tell me who sent you!"

"Ooo.. snippy. That's new. I like it. It makes me all tingly inside luv. First though, could you get me something more comfortable to wear. Being this vulnerable to your rapturing eyes is making me feel self conscious."

He was getting on her last nerves. "Fine, don't tell me. We'll find out soon enough."

"That's right Princess.. you will." His forearm came up to the glass, pressing against it ready to escape.

Serenity could feel the physical tension between them, as if the wall and window didn't exist. She scanned him up and down, how could he do this to her? Turning around with a Princess's grace, she left him in his cell.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 55th Earth Cycle

Running the sewers was his specialty now. The others called him King of the Slew because he knew every passage, entrance, and exit there was to know. Taki had been living with his friend, Etsu, now for 5 years. They had created and built a system with other orphans they found on the streets. It was either join them or die on the streets. Each group they formed became designated to jobs for the communities survival as a whole. If anyone wanted to step out of line, they had their feet cut off - literally. Taki never liked that job, so Etsu was always the one to hand out the punishments. The day started out as usually, he checked to see what formation the guards were taking and reported back. He was running fast today; he was going to spend his extra time trying to get something special for Etsu - his birthday was the following day.

He'd been planning for 9 months now, and had found 2 other boys to help him. He obtained decent looking clothing. The slacks were a little too long, but he doubted any of the 'walkers' would noticed. People who lived above were called a 'walker' because they had the leisure time to just walk about with no real purpose in mind. They never looked down at the filthy street they trodded in. Climbing up through the sewage ladder, he came out in an empty alley. The shop he had in mind was right around the corner. He went through the doorway, a bell ringed at his entry.

"What can I help you with young man?" An older gent, in his 50s, behind a counter cleaning asked him.

"I..I.." He hadn't talked to a walker in years. He'd been working on his accent, but it hadn't been perfected. "I need sum..something for my friend. Id's his birthday ya-you see." Whew - Not too many slip-ups.

"Hmm.. a birthday you say. Well, lets see what we have here in my shop." The old man started moving boxes, dust bellowed everywhere. "I think this might do." In his arthritic hand, wrinkled fingers clutched a gold chain. Attached to the chain was a golden pocket watch. Old, but still working.

Taki's eyes grew wide. The old man could tell he hit the spot, he had a gift for these type of things. "How much money do you have on you son?"

Taki reached into his pockets, and showed the man. It seemed he had enough to purchase the relic. The transaction was being made at the register when two rings resounded behind Taki.

BOOOOOOOOM! A gun shot, right into the old man's heart. Taki turned around in shock at his two mates. Looking back at the old man, he slumped onto the counter. No menace in his eyes, just acceptance. The old man worded to him to take the watch, and his eyelids slid closed. Taki shook his head in disbelief, this wasn't his plan. He told the boys to just come into the store and pretend to steal stuff, not shoot the man. He grabbed the watch, and ran out the door. The authorities would be on their way.

Back in the sewage, Taki looked at the watch rolling it over in his hands. The gold was varnished, and there was a blood stain imprinted on the spring. The price tag still attached showed that it had been four times more then the money he had paid. Opening the contraption up, there was a picture inside. The old man with his wife and child in a family portrait. What had he done? He was about to throw the watch into the stream before him when he heard Etsu's voice calling him in the distance.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" asked Etsu.

"It's nada.."

"Whatever, let me see it."

"I told you! It's nothin'!" Taki turned his back on his friend.

"Fine! I wont tell you the good news I heard."

With that, Taki faced Etsu again. "Tell me!"

"Only if you swear you'll show me what ya got!"

"Promise!"

"Okay, well... I found us a sponser."

"A sponser?"

"You know! A sponser, a person whose gonna train us to do jobs, to kill those walkers," exclaimed Etsu as he pointed upwards.

The face of the old man jumped back into Taki's mind. Kill. You had to kill to survive. "Sounds great."

"I know! We're going to meet him tomorrow. Now show me the watch!"

"How'd you know what it was?"

"I know everything!" Etsu's eyes didn't look right in the shadows of light.

Taki handed him the watch. The other boy clicked it open, and saw the picture. A look of disgust ran over his face. "Why'd you get this? It's a piece of junk. Look, there's even walkers in here."

_So much for that gift_, thought Taki. "It's something I picked up, no biggie. Give it back."

"No!" Etsu raised it above his head, and threw it into the muck a few meters away. "No biggie, right friend?" he said shrugging his shoulders and walking away.

Taki made sure he was gone, and waded over to the point he saw the watch go in. Taking a deep breath, he dove into the filthy water. Feeling around the slimy bottom, he caught the chain and pulled. It might be a piece of junk, but it was his first innocent, the first life he had stolen.

* * *

Present Day

Endymion was still fuming in his shower. One could have sworn the steam coming off his body was his skin boiling the water with his man tantrum. After all he had done for her, she was going to treat him like this? He wasn't going to take it, he was a gentleman- a person, a human being! No one should have to answer to such a up-play of an misunderstanding. It was about time to give that little meatball a piece of his mind. He grabbed a towel, and began to dry off. He didn't even bother to put a shirt on, just sweatpants and some slippers.

Serenity was dashing back to her room. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Takeshi, but she had seen what was written on the man's arm against the glass.

'I'm sorry. I am. But they're listening. Kill me, please, before they do.'

The words transcribed in dried blood was still fresh in her memory. After all that had happened, he wanted her mercy? She trusted him before, that was a huge mistake. Why should she trust him again? As if he was really on her side? Serenity leaned against the wall, an ivory wallpaper of stripes, her lungs felt like they were collapsing on her. It seemed like she was breathing out of a straw. White spots filled her vision, and the horizon began to tilt vertically.

When she came to, she saw a blurry figure hunching over her. Black hair filled her vision. _De ja vu?_

"Princess!" Rei called out, she had been sent out to go find her leader. Seeing Serenity falling to the floor, she had rushed over. "Serenity! Can you hear me? Serenity!" She put her hands to the girl's face. The stupid girl had a fever, no wonder she passed out. Rei was in the process of picking her up when she saw Endymion, still wet, striding towards her. _Did he hear me?_ Rei thought in a panic. She brisked Serenity up into her arms and started for the door to their rooms.

_Where was she! _Endymion swore he had just seen those floating blonde buns a second ago. He got to the jade door, and started knocking.

"Can I help you Kunzite?" asked a voice behind him. Mina was standing there, arms folded across her chest.

"Is Mina in there? I need to talk to her this instant," he demanded.

"I'M OBVIOUSLY RIGht... har... she's inside," responded Mina, her eyes mere slits. She was just as sick of this man as Serenity, he looked like a mad dog. "She's busy, what can I pass along sir."

"You don't have to pass it along, I'll just tell you now since you seem to be her owner. Whatever she has to say about the Earth Kingdom, she can stick it up her... she can just not say it! I.. My Prince was kind enough to let you stay here, and now you are leaving with your last words as insults. Don't think that the Prince will ever marry someone from the Moon! All of your souls are as cold as the rock you live on!"

Serenity was standing behind the door, and had heard the whole conversation; especially the parts including 'owner' and 'cold as rock'. "YOU can get out of our hair - NOOOOWW!" She had whisked the door open, and was yelling at full volume to the shirtless man. "We might just be 'women', but we hold our standards high. Apparently, too high for you to even see! Leave Mina alone! You don't deserve her attention with your self-righteous ass in her face!" Her blood was boiling.

"You talk in second person now? You think that'll make you sound smarter for a dim-whit? Guess what! If you had as much brain as all that hair you had, maybe you would know better then to talk to a superior like this! It's outrageous! Like I said before, just go back where you came from!" He turned around, he had permanently become unglued from his sanity. Walking away was the best thing he could do.

"You need to go put on a shirt, and act like a REAL MAN!" Serenity yelled at his cold back. How dare he call himself a superior, that chauvinistist!

"Princess... you do know you said Mina when you were addressing me..." whispered Mina into her ear.

"ARHHHHH! I know! Thank god he's too dumb to have noticed. I HATE MEN! I'm officially going man-vegan!"

* * *

Ya! Hopefully you are all still enjoying this series. It's not going to be a short one, that I can promise you now. Hence, the background look on Takeshi.. he's a character too. I try not to neglect any characters, they deserve a storyline too. Thanks again for reading. :D


	16. Chapter 16

Seeking Love

Chapter 16

_Dearest Serenity,_

_It has been two weeks since the United Galaxy Conference has started ruffling feathers over recent events. While representing the Moon Kingdom, I keep trying to sway negotiations forward for a solution to the gathering forces of the dark energies. However it seems that this raises more questions and concerns then a solution of any kind. In open caucuses the U.E.N.P repeatedly state their claims of concern for their own people, and skirt around the protection of our Galaxy as a whole. They are resisting aide sending aide to other planets in fear of sacrificing their own safety. Do not hear me wrong, for I still believe that the Earth Kingdom has good intentions, but in past relations they too have been let down by other pacts and are wary to fold into such a dilemma. This worries me, and that is why I must do what I'm about to tell you._

_I have arranged for the Prince of Earth and his guardians to come visit you on the Moon. I know you were not found of him, but please give this another chance. Without a unanimous vote to begin a war effort against our enemies we can do nothing but keep sitting in these rooms breathing air and chasing after our own tails. As my daughter, and as your fidelity to one's Queen calls, please persuade the son of Earth – he is our last string to pull in order to save over trillions of lives._

_On another note, I miss you dearly, I hope all has gone well in your few weeks back. As I hear, you have been deeply shaken, and do not sleep well at night, but you will heal over time my daughter – this I promise you. I will be busy over the following weeks, but I wanted to take this time to also let you know that I will always be your mother. Keep your head high, and your soul light – for these past few months may only be the silence before the storm._

_Love you with every part of being, and may you feel me by your side in times of need,_

_Your Queen, and most importantly your Mother._

_- Queen Serenity._

Serenity didn't know if she wanted to crumple the letter and throw it out the window, or to read it over again. She'd already scanned the scripted characters five times now, but she still couldn't get the words to stick in her head. It had been a two week since the Princess and soldiers arrived back to the Moon, and everyone had finally stopped bringing up the Prince, Takeshi, or anything related to Earth. Serenity fell back into her daily routine, and now it was going to be shaken once again. Why did she have to be the Queen's daughter!

RRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG! RIIIIING!

"Hello?" she answered the phone sitting on her desk. It was an old ivory victorian phone where you turned a gold knob to dial numbers. Serenity had a deep love for the classics.

"Princess?"

"Makoto? What's all that noise?" She could hear some type of music, and the bass was cutting out her words.

"Oh – sorry." The sound mellowed down. "I was just working out, but I was thinking about what you said earlier about the Prince coming back. Are Mina and you going to switch places again?" she asked while trying to catch her breath.

"Not like we can just say 'psych' and tell them the truth. No, I talked to Mina earlier today – we're switching again. The servants know, and we wont have a problem since my mother will be at the conference for another week at least. I don't know what she was thinking sending them here. If anything, we might just be pushing the Earth council away based on how our last conversation with those boys went."

"Ah, don't get so down. If anything, just think of your people – in a way, this is your battle for them. You are the knight in shining armor, you're fulfilling your dream – you are just going to have to do it by swooning a guys heart."

"Hah. Don't try to bring up my childhood fantasies, it won't work Makoto." She smiled over the phone, Makoto always knew what to say when a subject had to be tip-toed around.

"It's true! Anyway, I also called to let you know that the trial date for Takeshi has been set. It will be ten days from today."

"Ya, Ami sent me a message earlier. The lawyer wants me to go talk to him at least once before the hearing to get more information out of him." Her heart had put a temporary patch on the wound. It was easier when she didn't have to see the man. 'Out of sight, out of mind.'

"Kay, well I'm going to go finish my aqua-tone-dance class. See ya tonight!"

Serenity heard a click, and put down her phone. Makoto was always getting herself into heavy physical activities. An aqua-tone-dance class? Sounded painful and in need of a lot of coordination, something Serenity knew she would never test herself for.

* * *

Right, left, right, back, forward, right, dip, right, right, lunge. Endymion's feet and arms were moving faster then ever. Blowing off steam in the training rooms, the equipment was getting a harsh beating for the days news. He couldn't believe it, he was going to go visit the Moon Kingdom. Kunzite stood there in training sweats, and held out a towel to the dripping head of hair in front of him.

"Decided to create a new ecosystem in here with a lake?" asked Kunzite. "Or wait, you're getting ready for another battle of 'capture the flag?' We'd be sure to win," Kunzite teased. Endymion always let him shoot of slide comments during practice, it made him train even harder.

"Ya, whatever. I bet we're going to have to sit at conferences the whole time with news crews, not much to do on that bare rock I'd imagine," said Endymion. He took a swig of water, the ice cold liquid making his lungs burn in his chest.

"We'll see. Doesn't seem fair to the girls though, I mean – after all, they did get attacked here. Our last meeting wasn't the smoothest, and from what I recall – something about you yelling at Mina?" Kunzite shook his head in a dogging disappointment.

"I've sent her three letters about the incident saying how royally sorry I am. Not much I can do about that."

"A letter? Really Prince? You do know girls only like love letters..." He rolled his eyes, didn't his Prince know anything about women? "Well, I'm just going to say this now so no more 'feelings' get hurt. I'll play Prince one more time, but you've really got to get your head in the game and figure out how you're going to get out of this marriage without taking down the rest of the Galaxy. Doesn't seem fair to those people living off of the lint in their belly buttons."

"Now you just make me sound like a prig! You know it's not my say if the U.E.N.P council decides to go with the U.G.C on the war compact. I mean, we barely have any intel on the creatures that attacked us. Really, I think we should be taking the situation into our own hands. There haven't been any sighting on the other planets, just ours. The only reason those old farts can't seem to get their rusty zippers up is due to the Moon Kingdom! They have that monster in their prison. As I see it, they just want to stick their noses into any hole they can find! Why waste reserves, men who have families, on a half-made plan."

"You're just restating what you read in the caucus notes Zoisite set on your desk, I got one too. Come on, let's go get ourselves cleaned up for the trip up there." Kunzite looked up into the blue sky, the white moon was barely visible, but still there none the less.

Shuffling down the halls heading towards his room, Endymion's mind was still set on the big mess. Nephrite joined his walking pace when he saw him coming from the gardens.

"Prince, Kunzite." Nephrite greeted his leader and fellow officer. "Looks like you two just got a good work out in. I wanted to let you know Prince, your therapist wants you to go see him before we leave tonight. And Kunzite – Zoisite wants to see you to discuss those weapons, we're going to pack them with us to calibrate to the Princess and her soldiers."

"Thanks Neph, I'll make sure to do that." He said curtly. That hypnotherapy couldn't be put off any longer it would seem.

* * *

A maid knocked on Serenity's door. "Princess, the Prince and his generals should be here in about 15 minutes."

"Thank you. Make sure that all the other girls are ready, and have them come to my room please."

"Yes ma'am, I will do that immediately."

The door closed silently behind her. Serenity always tried to keep her orders to the servants at a minimum, and to treat them with respect. Her mother was the same, the only reason they had hired servants was to create jobs and to keep homeless and poverty rates down.

Looking into the mirror, Serenity wished she had the simple life of a servant. They got their hands dirty by doing the work around the palace, but they had the rights to go about their personal business in their own fashion. She was beginning to feel tired of the life she led. There was the glamour, riches, and knowing that she was straight in line to make her Kingdom prosper - but they had all been handed to her. Not once had she had to work for those privileges. Then, the first time her country asks of her duty, it is to marry! She remembered cracking open history books on how it use to be uncustomary to have arranged marriages, but somehow the tradition snuck back. There had been problems with individuals not marrying, not having children, and in turn creating a deficit in the population. Researchers had come out with statistic showing the downhill spiral, creating a panic across the public; eventually causing 'upper management' to mobilize laws. Of course, the millions of orphaned children were still being ignored. Even with codes in place, people still had a strong sense of carrying their own blood lines.

Serenity fixed her hair once more into a high ponytail. It was 'Mina' time.

* * *

Five men who cut fine figures across the cobbled pathway were walking towards the gleaming white palace in front of them. The architecture didn't resemble any they had seen before. Not one single straight line or perfect 90 degree angles existed. It seemed impossible that the structure stayed standing. In an odd way, the work of art made them all feel calm – an anthropologist would claim this reaction was due to the building's likeness to nature. Filling the front court yard was a field of white flowers. Flowers of all various classes grew there, but every petal was white. The floral plants were placed so the green stems or dark soil couldn't be seen; the affect creating a sea of white before entering the palace.

Walking behind Kunzite, the guardians were shown through the entrance into the foyer. Looking up above them, multiple colors of light shown down upon them. Glass windows cut at specific angles to create prisms rose up the sides. All astonished by the place, they noticed that they couldn't see a ceiling. It was as if the walls disappeared into a white steam cloud. The floors were deep dark hard wood, but the artist had designed the placement of each piece to create a work so intricate that the pattern never repeated itself.

The Princess and her soldiers walked down towards them from the grand staircase. Mina greeted them with the customary Moon bow. Her hands rose to her head, palms facing outward and she began to bend at the waist to a perfect 90 degree angle. The deepest bow for a magnifying show of gratitude. The girls behind her followed suit, as well as the Prince and his guardians responded in the same fashion. On the moon – there was no difference in male and female gestures of respect.

"You ladies look more gorgeous every time we meet. Hopefully we can look over the past, and move on to the future" said Kunzite.

"We are glad you were able to come. I believe that your stay here will be a peaceful visit," responded Mina. She could feel Serenity's eyes burning into the back of her head. "Since it is so late, you must all be tired. We will show you your rooms. Up this way."

Endymion's attention was on the princess for a while, but then his eyes slowly met Mina. When they had last seen each other, Mina words were cat claws scratching at his skin. They stung, but scarred over quickly. Her eyes now didn't show any of the anger from before. They held a deep despair, he wondered why... ?

"Kunzite... Kunzite..."

"Hmm... what?" His eyes shot away to find who was trying to vie for his attention.

"Your room will be here right by the Prince's room. These five rooms are all connected and much like the room that you accommodated us with, they have one room that connects them all." Mina explained. "Hope you sleep well, you had a long trip. All your things will be in your room. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call a servant."

"Thank you Princess, I hope you and your ladies all have a good night sleep as well." Kunzite acknowledge back.

"Thank you. We will see you in the morning for breakfast then. I will send a butler down to get you, so you don't loose your way around." The girls turned around, and began to walk back the way they came.

"So... you want the big bedroom right?" Kunzite asked his Prince.

"No, go ahead and take it Kunzite. It will be my thanks to you for taking my spot. Anyways, if someone were to come they would notice that I shouldn't be in there; lets not cause any confusion. So go ahead, and I will see you in the morning," said Endymion.

Endymion turned around and opened the door to his room. He looked around in puzzlement. The room was completely white from ceiling to floor. None of his things were in there either. Actually, nothing was in the space at all. He couldn't even tell where it all ended. If he walked forward, he felt like he would start falling into the white light._ Okay.. this is the time I wish I was still back on Earth,_ Endymion thought. Then a single pixel of color began floating in front of Endymion's face, and then it started spreading as if regenerating itself to eat the void. Gray globs plopped out of nowhere, and started shifting shape – eventually getting covered in the pixels as well. That is when the prince realized - this was his room, his room that he had at home.

Endymion's jaw dropped to the floor, the room must be enchanted - he had never heard of such advanced technology! He walked over to a familiar dresser and poked at it. Yep, it was solid – and there was even an identical scratch on the front drawer from when he was mad at his father and threw metal shuriken. Sliding the drawer open, all of his clothes were perfectly folded. In the closet, his clothes still hung in outfits. All of his clothes were here, and probably everything else where he usually stored them. This place was throwing him for a loop. While he stood there in 'his room' he experimented with it's capabilities. He imagined his bed sheets turning a midnight blue silk from his ivory cotton. No doubt, little squares started flipping over and a pool of blue spread over the fabric. He slipped into bed, literally due to the new texture; this he could get use to. Thinking the bed was somehow more comfortable then his own at home, he was curious if he would have the nightmares his therapist discussed with him.

* * *

Earlier that day

"I want you to close your eyes, and focus on my voice," said Mr. Baldy. Today the therapist fashioned grey corduroy pants, a pressed light pink dress shirt, with a grey skinny tie. "Focus on your body, and I want you to picture lead filling your toes.. your feet... your ankles. The warm metal is running up your calves to you knees and the rest of your leg. Now it is going up your torso to your stomach, organs, and chest. It is slowly spreading to your shoulders and arms, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingertips. Rising upward into your neck... your chin... your lips... your ears... and your eyelids..."

Endymion walked through the halls, and was wearing tan slacks and a leather jacket. He was in a rush to get somewhere, but he didn't know why – he just had to get out. Walking faster, he found himself in the carriage, the green velvet brushing against his hands as he pulled at it in agitation. There were no stars or moon out, too much cloud coverage. The heat of the day lingered in the air, an inversion created by the smog. Watching his feet, one foot in front of the other, he saw the ground moving beneath them. He couldn't let his face show in public, not at this time of night. Seeing a light source leaking out of a wooden frame, the door protruding open, he walked in. The barkeep was tending to drunkards. An illegal game of cards was being played in the corner. At least seventy people had to be crammed into the space. He made his way to a person sitting in a booth by himself. How did he get the nerve to sit with the guy? There was probably a reason why nobody else sat with him. He sucked in his gut, and ordered a drink.

"Glad you made it... kind sir," said the man. Endymion tried to look closer, but the features of the face were blurry. Squinting his eyes, the face settled – and it was a mixture of his guardians? Kunzite's eyes, Zoisite's hair, Jadeite's lips, and Nephrite's face structure. He had to have taken a drug, or something had been slipped to him from the time he left the palace.

"Hear you've been looking in the wrong places for something you can't seem to get your hands on," continued the man.  
Endymion tried jogging his brain for what the man was referencing. Searching... for... ? A large mug of ale was reaching his lips now. It tasted like cat piss, but it made it's way to his stomach. "You must have me mistaken for somebody else."

"No. I don't think I do." The man leaned in closer. "What were you looking for?"

"I... I don't remember. Maybe something to do with my project in the 3rd ring."

"What business do ya have there?" he asked.

Endymion pondered if he should share his workings with this stranger. Why not give it a shot? "I.. I've been trying to clean out the place. Not in the way the King did, but to move people to better places. Get them jobs, get them on there feet. Especially the children, the ones without parents. They need the most help."

"Hmph. As if one person could help all those people. Maybe you should be keeping your nose where it belongs. On that pretty face of yours."

"No! It's not right what my father did!"

"You're father? You're the Prince 'ancha? So maybe you do have some power, but why would a royal be wasting his royal time out here?"

The man was getting on his nerves. His business? It was his city! He was only trying... he was trying to find a way to clean the water! "It's the water systems! I was trying to find something to purify the water so less people would get sick. The sewage was leaking into the water systems. There was a device I was looking for!"

"Good..."

'Ring' Endymion looked to the door of the inn.

"Looks like we found where you were that night." Baldy's voice resounded in his head. The beer in his hand dissolved into nothingness, the man disappeared with the gambling fools in the corner. He was back laying on the couch. "A water system eh? That does sound like a task that would be quite an undertaking."

"How do you know that?"

"You told me yourself! The way the hypnotherapy works is I put you back into the stored memory. In a way I create a bridge for the broken link that is missing. You were talking to someone in your other state right?"

"Yeeess... this odd looking man. He was.."

Baldy cut him off. "That was me! I was able to present myself to you in another form – ones that are familiar to you. Guess those are your guardians. Which is good since the bond between you all should be that strong." He began scribbling down notes.

"I don't know what tavern I was at though. It didn't look familiar to me."

"Well, what's important I believe, is that you found out why you went out. That's a lead."

"More like an arrow pointing me in a direction, a direction to nowhere."

"Lighten up sir. You're bound to find more clues."

* * *

In the morning white hair brushed under Endymion's nose.

"Endymion! Endymion! wake up!"

"What Kunzite, what do you want? I'm still tired... leave me alone. Get your nasty hair off my face."

"Come on! We have to go to breakfast."

"Fine.. don't want that Princess to think that we aren't disciplined."

"Oooo.. someone is waking up on the wrong side of bed. Breakfast in thirty. Get dressed! By the way, these rooms are pretty spectacular huh? I was stumped last night until it started transforming - I've got to ask Zoisite about it. Not that you asked, but I designed a star room.. looked like I was sleeping over at the planetarium. Pretty cool right? NOW Get up!"

"I said I'm up, I'll get changed! Once your OUT of my room Kunzite!"

"Sorry, sorry. I'll be in the other room then," and Kunzite skirted out through the doorway.

Once Endymion had changed and went to the main room that connected all the other rooms, he made sure everyone remembered to call him Kunzite, play it out like a broken record. They were lead by a butler out into the hall. They started walking, and in one footstep they were already at the end of the hallway.

"Please stand here, don't make any sudden movements. We wouldn't want to loose one of you, or part of you," the butler said in a monotone voice.

The walls changed like the bedrooms did, and they were all standing in front of a round breakfast table.

"I see that was one of your first times using a teleportation device." The princess said with a grin on her face. "Sit down and eat, you all must be hungry."

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Jadeite. The moving had left him a feeling of being on a boat for too long.

"Get a hold of yourself man, just the wave of new technology hitting you," said Zoisite as he clapped a hand on the man's back.

The food was delicious, nothing like the Earth Kingdom. Incomparable, but only due to the fact that every item on the table was nothing they had seen before. The tastes and textures were nothing they had tried, but familiar enough that it wasn't hard to get down. Trying to eat everything, without looking like a bunch of pigs, was going to be hard on each boy refilling their plates.

"This place, there must be spells on it. The rooms are breathtaking, mind boggling really! I was completely blown away," Kunzite said to start the morning conversation

"Ah! I forgot to tell you!" Mina had intentionally not said a word, the look of each of the guardian's faces was priceless – a satisfactory reaping of her actions. "I hope each of you figured out how to use your room. Though, it seems like you did since none of you look like you had a horrible night sleeping on the floor."

"We all had a pleasant night of sleep. It was hard to get up this morning it was so comfortable," said Nephrite as he stuffed an oversized looking blueberry into his mouth. A yellow sauce seeped out of the corner of his mouth – it tasted like butterscotch.

"I was wondering, what are we going to do today? Tour of your palace?" asked Endymion. He wanted to get the formalities over with as soon as possible.

"No, we aren't going to give you a tour of the palace. Instead, I've planned for all of us to pair up and go explore the city. My girls haven't spent too much time out of the palace since we came back, and I think out there would reflect the Moon Kingdom more then in here. Sound alright?" asked Mina.

"Yes, that sounds great. I can't wait!" Kunzite said in a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

"Outside the palace walls?" Endymion asked. "That will be interesting. I'm surprised that you are so willing to let us see how your city runs," he directed his statement towards the Princess.

"Of course, I consider you dear friends."

* * *

New world! Moon Kingdom say what? :D


	17. Chapter 17

Seeking Love

Chapter 17

"It seems to be an unruly fate that I would be paired with you," Serenity let her arms and shoulders hang in disappointment. Today was not her day.

"Lucky you!" responded an enthusiastic Endymion, he forced his arm around her shoulders.

The ten of them had drawn numbers to pick pairs. Jadeite was with Makoto; Nephrite with Ami; and Zoisite with Rei. None of the girls looked all too happy, the boys mirrored their expressions. Makoto said something to Mina about switching partners, but the blondie wouldn't have it. This was the time to show off the Moon Kingdom, not be flirting with the boys. Makoto just thought Mina was dandy with it because she got partnered with the Prince – typical.

"Oh look.. you two match!" Mina commented on Endymion and Serenity's outfits. Serenity had chosen to wear a yellow and white polka-dotted skirt, matched with a white tank top underneath a jean jacket. Endymion was wearing his usual black pants, and a baby blue v-neck.

"We don't match at all..." stated Serenity. She was looking herself and her partner up and down.

"Yes you do! You are both wearing summer colors!"

Oh my goodness... fashionable Mina, and Serenity was trusting her with Princess duties.

"This way.." Serenity started walking away from the group, she didn't need to hear added comments from Mina anytime soon.

"We're walking?"asked Endymion.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No. Of course not. Just thought we were going to be taking a ride around town. This is good though, we're going to get plenty of exercise, and I want to see as much as we can."

"You don't have to pretend to be interested."

"I'm not... are we really going to start off this way?"

"What are you talking about 'this way'? I'm fine."

"You're still hung up on our last little tiff! I sent you letters apologizing, you never responded."

"No, You didn't!" Serenity turned around to face the man. Endymion almost collided into her.

"Yes, I did! You probably saw them, but were too 'busy' to read them."

_Letters? _Serenity didn't remember any letters. Oh my - they would have been addressed to Mina! Stupid stupid! Mina never mentioned them!

"I promise, I didn't get them. If you want to apologize, why don't you? Right here and now." Serenity pointed her finger to the ground, and stomped her foot into the soil.

"Seriously?" Endymion was never good at asking for forgiveness face to face. Ugh... "Okaaay.. I had written down that I was sorry for calling you a heartless and not showing you the proper respect you deserve."

"Wooow.. did a secretary write that for you?" Her skirt twirled around, and she was walking again.

"What do you want me to do? Draw blood with my emotions?" Endymion chased after her. Her pace had doubled.

"Whatever," Serenity flipped her hair over her shoulders. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll forgive you. Let's get going."

"Where are we going?"

"First off, I need to go somewhere first – then we can go wherever you want. I know this whole place from every rock to every tree and person."

Endymion let his eyes wander to where the power walking girl was taking him.

"I thought you said we were using our feet?"

"I never said anything of a sort. We'll be taking horses. Here, you can have Platinum, I'm taking Meteorite," said Serenity.

They were in a large stable, the smell of fresh hay and manure swarmed the air. Endymion never had a fond liking of the beasts. When he was a boy, a horse tried to eat his shirt right off of him – yep, that was a bad experience. Hopefully one not to be repeated.

"I thought you guys just teleported everywhere?" asked Endymion.

"That would be silly, you can only teleport within the palace walls. Just think of this as taking the scenic route."

Platinum was a muscular horse with a shiny coat. The hair on the horse literally looked liked the metal element. Serenity came clopping around the corner on a midnight black horse. Little flecks of burning red flared through the coat, her horse looked strong, but for a horse – intelligent. Something like an old wisdom reflected out of the horse's deep set black eyes.

The pair started at a nice pace, no galloping, just a slow walk. Endymion noticed the passage of quite a few beautiful homes. Nothing like the palace, but still houses that called for admiration. There seemed to be plenty of room, no overpopulation. Not an ounce of pollution sat in the air, and there was greenery everywhere. Compared to Earth, this seemed like a real planet. Of course, he would never admit that to Mina.

Forty minutes down the road, Serenity dismounted, and tied her horse up against a white fence. "We're getting off here. The family who lives here are close friends of mine, and they will take care of the horses until we get back," Serenity explained while tapping on the door of a homey looking cottage. There were heart printed drapes in the windows, and a few pear bushes in the front yard.

"Are you sure? This place doesn't look like the houses we were passing earlier. These people look more like... peasants.. can you really trust those type of people to take care of your horses?"

"Kunzite, I'd appreciate it if you didn't question who I trust. I know what I'm doing. I do live here, so just follow me. These people are some of my dearest friends, and I'd like you to meet them."

A little boy came to the door. "Mother.. Mother.. she's here!" he squealed out of his tiny mouth. The boy began jumping up and down in his little yellow jumper.

"What? Has she finally come to visit?" A lady that looked to be in her late 40s came up behind the little boy. "Hello dear!" and embraced Serenity with her motherly arms. "I'm glad you are back from visiting the Earth Kingdom. Was the planet dreadful? We heard rumors that the guards were a disaster, and that there was a battle." The woman's face revealed a parents worry over her young, and she put her hands on Serenity's face looking for scars of any sort. "It doesn't look like you got beat up or anything, but those Earth people – they need to get their act together. I'm just glad you made it back safely!"

Serenity's face was in a deep blush. "Ummm.. Kate!" Serenity stammered. The woman stepped back finally noticing that she had more then one guest. "Sorry if I worried you, but as you can see I came back all in one piece." Serenity went to grab Kunzite's arm, and she pushed him forward. "I would like you to meet one of the Earth Kingdom's generals. This is Kunzite. Kunzite, this is Kate McCarthy"

Now it was the lady's turn to go bright red. "Oh, I'm so flippy, I didn't mean to criticize the Earth Kingdom" Kate began to fan her face. "Sorry about that. It's just that the Princess is so dear to us. She is truly our heart, so everyone was worried that she had gotten hurt."

"Don't feel bad, I didn't take any offense. You were merely stating the truth," Endymion said. Serenity's eyes grew wide. _Was that his apology?_ She thought. Endymion continued, "Unfortunately we were not able to protect the Princess or her guardians as well as we had hoped. It did however show us our flaws, and we are working on them now. I'm sorry for causing your community concern." He bowed his head to the lady in the door.

"Oh, no worries my dear. As I said, she's looks as strong as ever. What can I do for the lovely couple?" Kate asked.

Endymion and Serenity's faces twisted into a pained awkwardness - like they'd bitten into a lemon expecting the flavor of an orange. "We.. we're not together. Well, we are, but not like that Kate." Serenity stepped a few inches away from the baby blue shirt touching her skin. "Anyway, could you take care of my horses? I am planning to take Kunzite to the market. Unfortunately, I don't know how long we will be."

"Of course, of course my dear. Don't worry a bit.. we will gladly take care of them. Anything for you dear." Kate said with a huge smile on her face. She talked like she was walking on egg shells.

"Thank you," replied Serenity along with the standard Moon bow. "Come on Kunzite, we are going to the market." Turning around she started running back down the road.

"Wait up Mina! You shouldn't be running like that in a skirt!" Kunzite was on her heels, she was a quick one.

_Why would anyone call the Princess, Mina? _Kate wondered to herself in deep puzzlement. Men, who knew what went on in their brains.

* * *

"This is our largest sport stadium! Here, we play moon ball!" Makoto excitedly explained. She continued to point out how the game was played. There was one hydro-disc, a disc made of water that was created to stay frozen. It was passed between members of a team to one end until it was thrown threw a goal. The other team could try to intercept the disc, and play defense while the game was in play. Jadeite looked at the field, from a distance it looked like a normal green field, but when they got closer. There were poles that were a foot in diameter, and spaced 3 feet apart. The players had to be able to concentrate on the game, other players, and where they were stepping so they didn't fall into the water below.

"Doesn't seem that hard, but who would want to get themselves sweaty over such a simple sport? It doesn't even look like it needs that much skill," surveyed Jadeite.

"You haven't played it. Imagine it like 'ice dancing.' It doesn't look like it's that hard, but that's just because the athletes are just that good. Maybe we should go for a round or two, and then you can think about your statement again." Makoto had no clue how Rei got along with this man. He was as cocky as they could come.

* * *

"This place is made out of 100% man made materials huh?" asked Nephrite. He was with Ami, she was showing him the database center, and power reserve of the Moon. They hadn't traveled far from the palace. They were actually 1,000 feet below the surface, a simple elevator shaft that made him claustrophobic.

"Yes, we haven't been able to sustain it with reusable materials yet. Plus, the cooling system we need is still using old technology. We are in the process of trying to get our rain cycle to help the process along to a new modern use," replied Ami. "Actually, only 50%f the stored energy here is used on a daily basis. Our advancements are coming along, but only after they have been reviewed by the board – me, and not many have caught my eye."

"You know your stuff then. What else do you do for fun?"

"This is fun..." Ami was confused about what the brown haired man was asking her. Technology was her life. Being part of a primitive species, and helping her kind dominate the food chain and protecting their survival was her goal in life.

Nephrite was already forming his suspicions about the blue bob spouting off more numbers. He saw her only as a calculator made out of cement. She rarely seemed passionate about the life she was helping to improve. It was as if her best friends were made up of computer chips and wiring.

* * *

In another sector of the planet, Zoisite and Rei were also having similar problems as the other pairings. Rei's ideas about religion were in a traffic jam with Zoisite's straight cut ideas of evolution and science.

"What do you mean you don't believe in the Gods and Goddesses? Who do you think created us? Who do you think gave us these powers?" asked Rei in a mad frenzy.

"I don't think you'll like my answer, but none the less, I think it is all due to a scientific anomaly. Due to many smaller events that happened at the right time, an outcome of your powers and life exist. I have done the research, and have come to the conclusion that coincidence is how many things have come to how we are today. Think about it, if one gene in your DNA had been a Y instead of a X, you wouldn't be the Princess's protector."

Rei was appalled of the idea. It was her birth right that she had been honored to protect the Princess before the day she was born! It was a prophecy written over a century ago that her family had kept at the shrine. She was ready to throw the biggest fire ball at this man's face, she could feel it building in her hands, and was already imagining the long blonde hair of his singing to a perfect crisp.

* * *

"Come on, you don't actually believe in those?" asked Endymion. They were halfway through the busy shops when they came upon a tarot reader. The crinkly skinned lady looked so old that the skin of her eyes dropped like a second lid, even when her eyes were supposedly open. She wore a sage green pashmina scarf that contrasted against her bright neon pink hair. When you're that old, you get to do whatever, and that old lady owned it.

"I do.. sort of. It'll be fun," coaxed Serenity, she had been trying to convince Kunzite to go in for ten minutes now.

"Aren't they used to see who you'll marry, how many kids you'll have.. that sort of thing?" questioned Endymion. "...But if you think this is really part of the Moon experience, then okay."

Both of them sat down across from the reader. No words were exchanged, just an outstretched hand asking for money. Serenity quickly found three coins to empty into the lady's hand.

The pile of cards were shuffled. The old lady spread them out on the table, and then moved them around in a clockwise fashion while mumbling under her voice.

"Mmmmmmm... Mmm..." hummed the lady. Then she hacked up a few chokes for air. Probably dust that had collected in her ancient voice box. Flipping over a card, a woman dancing within a green wreath appeared - the world card. "In your past I see, not to see. A place that glowed, a place unknown. You are travelers who have witnessed a rebirth." Next came the wheel of fortune card. "In the present, a jewel trying to hide itself among the rocks. A mismatching pair of socks! Many changes, but these challenges will bring luck upon thee." A third card was turned over, the lovers. "Ahhh... In your future, I see compassion, a familiar scent. Darkness is also brewing, barely spent."

The pink hair bobbed over the cards. She brought down her over sized nose and swept her nostrils against the stack. She retrieved one more card - the Tower. "There is a war coming, and many dark truths that are not what they seem. Many false beliefs, false institutions, a false structure will come tumbling down..." The opal eyes of the reader seared into Serenity. "You.. OUT! OUT!" The old lady's hair fell from it's pins atop her head, and her hands were shooing the two away in a a panic; as if trying to cast out a disease.

"That was... interestingly ridiculous," said Endymion, once they were back out onto the street.

"Never had that bad of reaction before. What do you think all those things could mean?"

"Mismatching socks? I don't think that could be interpreted in any other way." He had put on a black and blue sock that morning. Old lady probably saw them and made the whole mumbo jumbo up.

"You're probably right, but watching an old lady make rhymes off the top of her head - that was entertaining."

"I swear I saw a few spiders come out of her hair she was so old."

"That's just rude," Serneity teased.

It was close to noon , and the two decided it was time to cater to their stomachs.

"I would guess you know where there's good food around here," assumed Endymion. They had just passed what was suppose to be 'little Earth town' a section of the city where 'all things Earth could be found.' From the look of things, it didn't seem so. Just souveniors of the blue and green globe. Blankets, mugs, calendars, and even slippers of the planet; that was about it. It was sad to think that was all his home planet had come to.

They walked by a small cafe. It smelled of fresh pastries and Endymion stood nose to glass looking into the window at the delicassies. They looked too good to eat. _He would have to send his chefs here to come practice these recipes._

Serenity sat down at a small white table while Endymion pulled the chair out for her. '_Hmmm.. maybe he is a gentlemen after all_.' This general was surprising her left and right, it was as if a switch had been flipped. She was just waiting for a shortage to come about and break the circuit.

During lunch they talked about how Takeshi's trial would go. There wasn't much to say. Conversation moved on to more personal topics once the food had been ordered. Serenity had her usual, a salad with an inordinate amount of toppings. Endymion had closed his eyes hovering over the menu, picking whatever his finger landed on - a salmon wrap.

"So, what were some of your childhood dreams? You must have had some, you're not a robot like Ami are you?" asked Endymion with a raised eyebrow.

"My dreams? I was barely allowed to have any, but false realities- I had plenty of those. I always wanted to do simple things. Since I was little girl, I've always been surrounded by people who were telling me what to do. It seemed I never had anytime by myself, even though I was an only child." Serenity let her mind wander. A smile of an unrequited wish spread across her face, her hands clasped beneath her chin while her mind rewound to the past. "There was a time, when I wish I could take a small wooden boat all by myself into the middle of a lake. It would be the perfect day; clouds, sun, but a breeze to cool the air. I'd row out there, and then just lay in the bottom looking up into the endless blue sky. There, in my boat, time would have no meaning. I would be a simple little girl.."

"Now that is a fantasy, not one I've heard of before however." Endymion was surprised her wish was so wistful, and not full of more child-like fantasies. Such as those he had heard from other women. Becoming a Princess, or winning the Moon Doll sweepstakes.

"Ya? Well, what's one of yours? It's only fair if you cough one up as well."

"Who said I play fair?"

"Oh, come on!" Serenity protested. She flung a purple ripening grape from a fruit bowl at his face.

"Hey, hey, hey! You never said you were going to torture me with small pieces of round fruit! I guess.. I'm going to have to give in huh?"

Serenity nodded in agreemet.

"My childhood dreams?" Endymion really had to think, he had buried them a long time ago with many other memories. "I remember I wanted to go space exploring. My father and I use to watch old astronaut films where they went to adventure into the unknown. There was this one planet someone had created, a DARS film that was on a disc. The place was so surreal, colors I'd never known at the time were splashed on the screen. Whatever the director had in mind, it came across as the most elegant piece, but also mystifying and dark. As if danger would be right around the corner from the bliss. I don't even remember what the plot was about, but it inspired me to want to explore. Of course, later I found out about all the filming techniques they used and that the whole project was done in a 1,500 sq. ft. building. That ruined the magic for me, but somehow as a boy I believed it all to be real."

"That must have been a reality check. To think something so beautiful could be created with a camera crew and props. I would have been devastated. It's like - when you find out the tooth fairy isn't real. Growing up, that's something I wish now never happened."

"No kidding! Now that is probably the first time I have agreed with you on anything!" stated Endymion.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 57th Earth Cycle

"If thy people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from our God and he will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Taki had been listening to his sponser's grandiose speech for an hour now. A light punishment for finishing his training. Etsu and Taki had been under the sponser's care for 18 months now, or so he tried to keep count. The first month was the worse. The lessons, and the training were brutal. They didn't even know the name of their sponser, they just addressed him as Sir. Over the days, Taki could slowly feel the muscles beneath his skin transforming, but the quick change in them cost him a lot of pain. They still lived in the sewers, but not in the parts Taki knew, and he thought he knew them all. It was a place completely devoid of light. His visual senses were blocked out, and he had to rely on his other four. Every minute of everyday the only voice he heard was the Sir's. The doctrine slowly became embedded into his heart. How the walkers above had become sick, and that they needed to be turned back upon the path of righteousness. Sin had swept the people, and they forgot where their loyalty should lie.

Taki was to become a soldier, but a soldier for whom? He hadn't heard a word of Etsu. He was also deep into training as well. Only his huffing breaths as they lifted bricks and dodged flying rocks did he hear his friend. During the long hours, Taki heard other breathing as well, other orphans taken in by Sir? The darkness the group lived in lasted the whole eighteen months. Today was the day, he was to be reborn into the world.

The ceremony started with Sir beginning his usual speech of rights and truths of the world. Taki knew it word for word. Unknowingly, he whispered along under his voice; as did the other children.

"You all have broken a barrier born within you, a power that can only be reached in this darkness – your home and womb. I chose you for your weaknesses, not for your strength. Building you up these path months has been a sacrifice of your life, your first endowment to our God. When I call upon thee, stand and face me with your newfound spirit, and I will give you the new life you have been seeking."

Sir called two boys up, and then it was Taki's turn. He would have been shaking if he had been the same boy four months ago. Now he had been filled with stone, a weight that kept his soul still. He rose upon request, and stepped forward. He felt a cold hand pass over his head, and two others grabbed his shoulders. Walking around the corner, he could feel a hot breath against his skin.

"Taki, I am proud of your efforts. You have proven that you are worthy to become the weapon of our God that we all have believed you would become. Upon thee, I grant you a new name to forge your newfound spirit. Takeshi - A name that shall fill you with it's meaning; a mighty and fierce warrior. Walk into the old world you use to know with the new body and mind we have created. Go on my son! We will call upon you when we are in need."

Takeshi was lead around another corner, and the hands disappeared into the silence. He was alone. Boldy taking steps forward, he had not one ounce of fear in his bones. Even though this was a new tunnel, he could sense the layout like the scars covering his body. Finding a handle, he wrenched a metal door open. Light streamed in, burning his eyes raw. He had to shut them, and cover them with his hands. Spreading his fingers he began looking down at the ground where recognized shadows. A few minutes passed, and he was able to see the objects around him; trees, plants, and a few boulders. All these things he had forgotten. Then looking up into the sky he saw the sun. It's warm rays clothing him back into the world; the world lost to the walking.

* * *

Present Day

"Kunzite, come on. Finish your cake, or we're going to miss it!" rushed Serenity.

Serenity looked at her watch, it was close to 1:30 in the afternoon. She had been waiting all day to show something special to Kunzite...

"Now where are we rushing off to? I've barely had the chance to let that strawberry shortcake to digest!" Endymion protested, he was pouting on the inside - it was a fine good cake! The strawberry sauce had been perfectly sugared, and the angel cake was as light as whip cream. Rushing through the streets, nobody was outside. The windows were closed, and doors shut. It was as if everyone was prepared for a plague. _Where did everyone go?_

* * *

I'm going to say this, I really like the end of this chapter. Going on a trip, but will be writing as much as I can. I'll try to post again as soon as possible.


	18. Chapter 18

Seeking Love

Chapter 18

Endymion looked around to the courtyard as Serenity pulled him along behind her. Assuming they had come to their destination, he took in the new sights and smells. Not that they were in particular 'new.' They stood underneath an old granite archway, made at least two or three centuries ago. The bustle of pots and pans clanking in the restaurant next to them was evidence that the lunch rush was over; Leaving behind a wafting scent of cooked fish and cabbage coming from the steam vents.

"Now why exactly did we rush over here?" Endymion inquired while holding his nose.

"Stand right here," Serenity ordered while pulling the shirt sleeve of the blue v-neck, turning the owner around to face out towards the center of town square. She couldn't wait for it to start! Keeping her eyes glued to her second watch, it seemed that the little dial couldn't be moving any slower. She felt like she was about to open a present, looking like a little ten year old girl again.

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 – 1...

A small dark gray circle landed in front of Endymion on the stone walkway near his left foot. Another made its way to the ground a few seconds later. Another, and then another. The time interval between each decreasing exponentially. One hit his eyelash, making him pull back his head in surprise. Soon it looked like the street had adorned a flare for polka dots. It was raining. However, nothing like the rain on Earth. Here, there were no clouds to be seen, and the drops falling from the sky shined like crystals. Each carrying a light inside until it reached its destination upon the pathway.

Serenity let go of Endymion's arm, which he hadn't noticed her holding on to till now, leaving his arm to bare the cooler air. She stepped away from their protection of the downpour. Lifting her arms high up above her head, she started to twirl around in small circles. Her yellow skirt flared out beneath her at the waist, and her long blond hair began to stick to her neck and face beginning to soak. Endymion's eyes followed the little dancer while she made her way towards the center of the court. Loosing his perception of the rain, he was lost in time, she had taken his breath away.

"Kunzite! Kunzite! Come on.. join me!" she called out to him.

"No, I think I'm okay just standing here watching you," he yelled back. His arms folded across his chest, and his legs were crossed at the ankles in a stubborn stature while he leaned against the granite.

"Come on Kunzite.. don't be such a downer." Serenity rushed towards him reaching for his hands.

"Last time I trusted you, an old quack told me I had mismatching socks."

Serenity wasn't going to be put off so easily. She used all her strength to pull the stiff man into the luke warm rain. He tried dragging his feet, but finally gave in to the girl's pleas. Her small and soft hands found his, and they began to spin together. They began dancing in time to the rain shower, it was nothing close to a waltz. Their carousel movements continued to the pitter-patter of the drops hitting rooftops and stone. The background of Endymion's vision was out of focus, and he could only stare at the face in front of him. Her cheeks had a pink rouge to them, and he could easily count the dimples around her eyes. Her lips were full, as if she had been biting on her lower lip making them swollen. Serenity could feel his dazed gaze on her, and finally stopped their spirited dance. They stood still in the rain looking at each other, trying to figure the other out; thinking how much they had to hide from the other.

"You must be cold," said Endymion breaking the silence. He moved forward to wrap his arms around the slim girl in front of him.

Stepping away from the gesture, Serenity headed back to the archway; they were drenched from head to toe. She began to slip off her wet jean jacket only to remember all she had on underneath was a white tank top. Not wanting to put her guest in _that_ situation again, she would have to endure the discomfort.

_What is up with this girl? It's as if we are on a never ending roller coaster _Endymion thought. He was still out bearing the weather. Looking up towards the sky, he noticed something strange. There were no clouds, still blue skies. "Hmm.. this is a real puzzlement," he was rocking back and forth on his heels. "How can it possibly rain on this barren rock?" he asked. He wasn't even sure if she heard him, he wasn't sure if he cared.

"It rains like this at 2 o'clock everyday. That's why everyone was indoors, for some shelter. This 'phenomenon' is actually one of the things I look forward to in the afternoons. The smell of rain water filling the air, leaving behind a trail of new life. It surprises me that I don't see more people out here rejoicing in the delight. It's just water, not like it's going to hurt you. If anything, it's relaxing. Brings my soul to peace."

_Relaxing?_ Endymion questioned. He went through the event, taking the girl out of the equation, he was left with wet clothes and water squishing in his shoes. "_Relaxing _isn't quite the word that comes to mind."

She blatantly ignored his statement. "You might be wondering why there are no clouds.. that's a matter better suited for Ami, but from what I retained from her long lecture about it, there is a reaction in our atmosphere that tricks the air currents into thinking it is cooler. Then the humidity begins to condense, and fall to the ground. There is something else, something that causes the crystal formation - but I can't remember." Serenity tilted her head to the side, her finger on her lips in deep thought.

"Huh? I thought it had to be magic!"

"No such thing!" She scoffed. Didn't a general know at least that?!

"Well, you have to take in all the facts. For one, your advancements are way beyond ours, and for something I can't explain – I call it some major hocus pocus. Which really brings me to the question to why we never consulted with the Moon earlier, it seems we could have learned a lot."

The rain was subsiding, and the restaurant keeper came out to clean off the windows. The stench of fish was now gone, and as Serenity had pointed out – Endymion could smell the leftover scent of sweet rain.

Oh great, politics. The one thing Serenity hated the most. She started walking away down the road in the direction towards Kate's house. "We both know that's why the Prince is interested in marrying, to get his hands on all of this." She opened her arms out in front of her.

"That's not true!" Endymion had always understood it as a long-term engagement, nothing more.

"Let me explain. As a kingdom, we always think about where our technology is going. We don't want it getting into the wrong hands. Could you imagine such a disaster? For example, with those DNA guns, I'm still not sure if I'm okay with that. If such a great power were put in the hands of someone with dark intentions, the outcomes could be catastrophic." Serenity moved her hands gesticulating a nuclear explosion.

"So that means the Moon thinks of the Earth as what?" asked Endymion in a half teasing and half serious tone.

"I'll just say, we have a hard time handing out our trust so easily." The conversation ended on a sour note, a bit to Serenity's disappointment since the day had been going so well. The next thing on her list was to meet up with Ami and Nephrite. A continuation of the rain water system – greaaat... Somehow, this man managed to ruin one of her joys in the day, simply by moving his gapping mouth.

* * *

Endymion, Serenity, Zoisite, and Mina were whizzing up into the air high above the city. The two were encased in a glass cube, an elevator of sorts, and were headed up to the Atrium to meet Ami and Nephrite. In order to fully show the capabilities of the Moon, it was necessary to show more of the Moon tech to the Prince. The best place for such a show would be the Atrium since it not only holds the main server for the rain system technology, but is also the storage center of the main databases for the Moon.

Ami began walking ahead of the group in a tour guide fashion. Waving her arms at this and that while explaining the functions of the object. Not one person knew what she was really talking about, and all nodded on queue in false understanding. "The Atrium is a collection of memories, a database of sorts. Stored here are collected memories from royals and of honored individuals who have represented the Moon."

The building they were walking in was in the shape of a circular ring that spun at just the right velocity to counteract gravity, and create a false force pushing objects against perceived walls. As an outsider, the six figures looked to be walking on the walls perpendicular to the Moon's surface.

Ami continued her speech inside a long hallway, "If you look around you, you will come to notice that each shelving unit stores a multitude of files. We have designed the storage product to represent a time before technology over ran the world, and when it was making its first mark with sound. A sense that is one of the easiest to recall, these memories have been stored on disc records. Each row represents a royal's life, and have been collected throughout a person's lifetime. For instance, these are the Princess's. If you'd like to take a look, all we need to do is strap you into the machine." She pointed to a flat bed at the end of the half-mile long walkway. "Would you like to try?"

Serenity, knowing all too well about the machine, quickly made a suggestion to her partner to steer towards the rain systems. Endymion, trying to keep his eyes from looking half lidded in boredom agreed. Together, they left the other four to poke and prod at the machine. Ami would find them later, and explain – in painstaking detail – the water system. For now, her proud treasure was waiting to be used on two new participants.

Kunzite was nodding away, not really paying attention to what he was volunteering for. He speculated the machine, what a strange type of equipment. There were headsets waiting to be picked up on a holder, but they were no ordinary ear phones. Putting them on, he started to feel a thread penetrate his eardrum, and Ami explained that it traveled to parts of his brain that controlled his senses. Scientific improvements had been made to help with memory defects within the human brain such as Alzheimer or other forms of short and long term memory loss. Ami continued to explain the complexity of how the technology worked. A part of the mind where memories are stored are like 'invisible files' or 'ghosts.' What Moon researchers have done at the lab is create a search throughout the brain's axons and neurons in order to retrieve and find fragments, cookie crumbs, to the center, or kernel. From there, memories are extracted, and converted to a more 'user friendly' file, a way to replay it back to a user.

Mina was still at square one with the 'invisible file.' She never quite understood Ami's mixture of computer and science analogies. Kunzite just wished that Zoisite was nearby to give him a lowdown on the sounds coming out of the girls mouth that he had no way to comprehend. It was as if he was listening to the beeps and tones coming out of his laptop when it popped up with an 'error.'

Long blond hair was hung over the seat's headrest, a strap stretched over the forehead, and Mina felt like she was going into surgery. She too had the headsets on, and was eventually connected into the machine to the same record that Kunzite was hooked into. She had never seen one of the Princess's memories, she didn't even know if Serenity would approve of this, but the Prince was so interested in the Moon's tech – there was no way to skirt around the situation.

"Just sit back, and take deep breaths" said Ami in a overly confident voice for such an experimental situation. Like when a doctor tells you that a needle 5 inches long wont hurt, but to 'relax'. What blasphemy! The pin reading the record fell into the grooves. A light static sound filled Kunzite's and Mina's ears.

The two fell into a time when Serenity was only 4 years of age. An age when a child had no comprehension of time, no recall, and could barely retain information day by day.

_"__I love it!" the little girl squealed. Short blond hair toppled out of the girl's head in a tumble of curls. She was wearing a baby pink dress with lace around the edges. A raven haired boy, a few years her older, had handed her the most perfect red rose. Dirt clung to his little man slacks, and his pressed white shirt was reclassified as brown. He looked like he had just returned from a hunt, or as boys are – scavenging in places they should not be, like the royal gardens. His face was a beat red, possibly from exhaustion, but due to his stammering sentences – it had to be something else._

_The young girl, unaware of his jumbling nerves - as she was not the type to take notice of her surroundings, was enamored with the rose. It's succulent ruby red had captured her shining blue eyes. Holding it up to her nose, the smell of a succulent sweet honeycomb made an imprint upon her brain. This smell was part of a particular experimental family that was only being grown on Earth. Only 50 existed at the time. The thorns had been taken off, little Serenity hadn't noticed the small cuts upon the boy's brow and fingers. He had worked hard to retrieve such a priceless gift._

_The raven hair bent down, and swept across the girl's forehead leaving a planted kiss upon the girl's brow. At the time, the gesture was a symbol of endearment as friends and 'puppy' love. The boy turned back towards a tall woman in a evening dress calling him. The name was unclear and was carried off by the wind._

Mina woke to a light running over her pupils. Ami was checking for dilation, hoped they didn't loose another consciousness in the void. It had happened once, but only one out of a thousand. The soldier felt nauseous, and didn't even try to stand on her feet. Looking over, the Prince came into focus. He looked to be having the same side effects. _Who was that little boy?_Thought Mina. She would have to bring it up to Serenity sometime. From what Mina could see, there was such a thing as 'love at first sight' and that little boy proved it.

Kunzite on the other hand was at a lost for words. He knew immediately who owned that bowl haircut, it was his one life's charge, no one other then the Prince._How did the Princess not know?_He was just waiting for alarm bells to ring calling out their deception. Maybe she had been too young to remember such an event. Ami had mentioned that the machine was to help fill in 'blanks.' No matter what, he had to tell Endymion as soon as possible. Not only could this little tape reveal their scandal, but it could also push the engagement along with the peace of the Galaxy into a whirlwind of chaos.

* * *

Two Days Earlier: Earth

Endymion didn't know what to do with the waterfall of red hair lying on his chest. As his therapist prescribed, he went to see Natsumi. Since his arrival to her home, he went straight to the point, bypassing the strong urge to feel the satisfaction of pressing his lips against hers. He repeated Mr. Bald's voice inside his head. '_A healthy relationship isn't a physical one.' __Damn you! _It was like resisting a bowl of chip ice cream on a hot summers day. Endymion tried to speak his mind. He thought Natsumi would be a person he could confide in, someone outside of the royal circuit.

"Maaamoruuu, Maaaaamorrruuu.." Natsumi cooed. Her small hand was wrapped around his neck, her finger playing with his ear.

Her smooth voice was like a spell, whatever he was ready to say would inevitably get stuck in his throat. It was as if a damn was built around his voice box. "I... I.. I have something to say," he was finally able to spout out.

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"Either we talk like adults, or we stop seeing each other. What we do, it is turning my brain into scrambled eggs on rice."

"Brunch, now that sounds good." She stopped her hand movements. "Anywho, why would we want to be adults. They don't get to have any fun!"

He pressed his hands against hers to move it away from his body._'No physical..' _He sat up, and starred into her blue eyes. It seemed to help organize his thoughts. "I'm being serious. Tomorrow, I'm leaving for the Moon. Hopefully it will give you time to decide what you want from this relationship."

"I think the real question dear Mamoru, is what do _you_ want? I don't recall you discouraging my efforts the last time you came over."

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your company, but it was when we first met. You seem like a completely different person now. I don't understand what has changed, and maybe you aren't ready to share that with me. Hopefully, that day comes, but for now – I'm giving us space."

"Space. You make it sound like we've been in a three year relationship. We've barely seen each other. Sounds to me like you are trying to run away from something else, something entirely different then what involves you and me." Natsumi glared into his eyes offended. "So when you decide what needs to be changed, you let me know." She stood up and walked to the bathroom across the room, a few minutes later the sound of water turned on.

What was he suppose to do? She could see through him like rice paper. Back-burner? Pfft, like everything else in his life.

* * *

I'm back! Got back from my trip, no computer. Gah!

As always, thank you to those of you who have left reviews/comments. I read every single one, and are very encouraging.

MinnieMoosi: Thank you for catching that little slip, it has been fixed.

AM: I hope your comment was less of real confusion, and more of the excitement of all the tangled webs. If you have any pointers, please feel free to share them.


	19. Chapter 19

Seeking Love

Chapter 19

The cold night blanket covered the sky, and everyone made it back to the palace. Both guardian's and soldier's feet were sore, Endymion could feel a rock pressing against his heel. The Earth generals were grateful for the teleporting technology within the palace, and used it to freshen up in their rooms before super. The finest food was set ontop of the mahogany dining table. The atmosphere had made a complete 180 from previous dinners. Nobody wanted to say a word, and Mina tried her best as a host to keep a continuous flow of conversation. Courses came and went, readily to be slurped, chewed, and swallowed. It wasn't that the food was bland or laking creativity, but Serenity could tell the day was far from being saved by food filling empty stomaches.

"Excuse me, Princess. I have a letter from the Queen," a servant stood beside Mina. He held a white envelope with the red royal seal pressed at the closure. Pulling at the opening, her hand whisked out an ivory card with delicate black ink...

_The Moon Kingdom requests the pleasure of your company at_

_The Moon Ball_

_held in the honor of_

_Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom_

_and_

_Prince Endymion of the Earth Kingdom_

_for their celebration of engagement_

_Saturday, July 10th at_

_eight o'clock in the evening_

_The White Cherry Gardens_

_Black Tie Event_

Serenity had her eyes pinned to the parchment in Mina's hand. _What was it? _Soon enough, Mina read the script out loud for all to hear. Serenity's eyebrows couldn't have gone any higher. For one, how did her mom get these ball invitations past Ami? Those letters were now making their way to numerous guests from all across the Galaxy. No way to intercept them now! She could hear her mother's excuse, "It is for the U.G.C," but she knew it was more due to the official sealment of her engagement to the Prince. No way was she going to fall in line for this. If her mom wanted to force her hand, then Serenity would have to use something hidden up her sleeve. Of course, it would all involve keeping her cover for the next week until the date. Her mother, sometimes she had to wonder if they truly shared royal blood.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 57th Earth Cycle

Etsu had emerged from the sewers a few hours after Takeshi. They were back to surviving on their own, it had been a year since their rebirth. Life was different now, they no longer had to live below the walkers, now they joined them. Sir not only trained them in combat and fighting, but taught them the necessary grammar and etiquette to pass as one of _them. _A total of 5 kids, ages 12 to 16, came from the hole in the wall. Two before Takeshi, Etsu, and then two followed. Takeshi thought he heard at least ten kids training in those small rooms, but when he saw Sir come out, he questioned whether they were the only ones, and stopped his minds from imagining what could have happened to the other five.

Sir cut a fine figure in the evening sun. His hair was a chestnut brown, and looked to have been combed back into a neat fashion with a dollop of gel. He looked nothing like Takeshi imagined him. From the times he felt the man's hands, he thought Sir would be a buff man – his muscles always trying to escape from his clothing type. Now, standing in the light, he was tall, but not built. His body looked like it was defined for agility and speed; Less brute force and power. Sir's face was like a stone. His teeth were clenched, showing off his strong jawline. Nothing else about his face was too prominent, all except his eyes. The man's eyes sparked with gold.

Pacing in front of the new borns, Sir began his orders, "I am going to hand each of you a piece of paper. Upon it is a map of the streets, and the red dot is where you will be living. Each of the families have agreed to take you in. They will not ask questions, blend as I have taught you. Until we meet again my children." His voice still carried the force of a God.

Once Takeshi held his paper, he quickly looked over Etsu's shoulder. They were only two blocks away from each other. The children dispersed, the two friends walked in the same direction, only silence filled their conversation. Neither was ready to talk, their shared experience in the dark was all that kept them from letting their fears of the future escape. Takeshi striding along reached his hand over his pocket, his watch was still there. The wheels had long stopped working, but the picture hadn't faded a day.

It only took a few days for the children to assimilate to their families. Takeshi had a younger sister, Yoko, and they were looked after by Kyo and Maki. Etsu only had Mei-Mei to answer to, an elderly woman. The boys were able to see each other daily. The ice was able to break when school started, and it seemed like their lives were like the other 'walkers' they lived with. Then one fall evening, Sir came knocking at their door within the second year.

* * *

Present Day

Three days passed on the Moon. Public speeches by Moon representatives were given about the engagement, the reporters were gobbling it up. The royals came to the conclusion that it was best if they all stayed indoors to prevent photos being taken. Each side came up with their own excuse to cover up their true reasonings. Fortunately, there was no planning to be done for the engagement party, but that left Serenity, Endymion, and the guardians as restless as ever in the palace. With the technology to create rooms, it was easy to be entertained the first few days, but it lasted only as long as their imagination could crank out ideas. Endymion was itching to leave the palace walls. He was here on the Moon to see the planet, not sit in a cushioned chair. That was when he resorted to desperate measures; he called Natsumi.

"Hello?" said a quiet voice. He must of woken her up.

"Natsumi? It's Mamoru." He was pacing across his room. Whenever he was on the phone he couldn't stand to sit still.

"Mamoru! How are you? Are you still on the Moon?"

"Ya, I'm still here." He went on to tell her the endless minutes of boredom, taking out his royal priorities.

"How can you be bored?!" she asked. Her voice clear and awake now.

"I think I need some company."

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?"

"Well.. if you'd want to visit me, I can pay for you to come up."

No sound came over the line. Was the line dead? Did she hang up?

"YYEESSSSS!" Her voice came in and out of the phone as if she was jumping up and down in the excitement of his invitation.

The conversation continued with further plans to get her up to the Moon. He knew that Kunzite would yell at him, but he wasn't going to show her to anyone. If it was anyone's business - he was Mamoru.. a man out on an adventure. He would meet Natsumi when she landed the next day, take her to a hotel. All undercover of course, and he would get out of this wretched palace.

* * *

Serenity was left to her own devices, and that was Takeshi. His court date had been moved up to the next day, and she still hadn't spoken to him. What was she suppose to say? Having discussed the problem with Ami and Makoto, they both thought it would be best if she didn't discuss things with him while locked up in a cell. 'The vibe is all wrong in there' Rei had mentioned.

The reality was that he tried to slip by her with feelings, and in the end attacked her. But there was the message he slipped to her. There was something he needed to tell her, and she decided it was time she gave him a chance; now that she was all stitched up again. For a second, she thought about asking the Prince to join her - but thought it would be too risky if the subject of her identity came up.

"Princess..." Mina poked her head around the bedroom door.

"Mina! Done entertaining the Prince?" Serenity asked. Her eyes crinkled with mischief.

"As if! Those men have an endless amount of energy. We keep up though, but I can only play tennis to love a maximum of ten times. Now if it was volleyball, that's a whole different situation."

"Then why don't you play that?"

"Eh.. I don't feel the need to show up our guests too soon." Mina laid down opposite the cushioned bed next to Serenity. Their blond hair mixing into a grove of one. "Princess, how much do you remember of your childhood?"

"Childhood?!" That question was unexpected. "I remember the Queen, meeting all of you, and of course playing in the gardens. Do you remember when we played gypsies and indians?" Serenity flipped onto her front with her hands supporting her head. Those were the days. The times when all that mattered in the world was if your best friend was playing with the 'correct' rules.

"That's all?"

"Of course that's not all, but do you really want me to list every detail? We would be here all night. I have to ponder, why do you ask?"

"Well, Ami hooked me up to that memory thing," Mina began her explanation.

Serenity already had a bad feeling about what was going to come up. She never once let Ami use that device on her. There was a reason why memories were forgotten. "So.. what? You saw one of my memories? Don't be surprised that I know. It was inevitable with those boys poking their noses where they don't belong. The nerve of Kunzite, he couldn't stop asking questions about our water system."

"Back to the memory ordeal." Mina didn't need another earful of how 'annoying' Kunzite was. "The record Ami showed us, it had this raven haired boy in it giving you a rose," Mina told her all that she had witnessed. It didn't seem like any of it clicked in Serenity's brain. A look of clear confusion was all that she could cipher.

"Ya, I don't know anything about that. It couldn't have been anything too important."

"You're probably right. He did look pretty enamored with you though." Mina also flipped onto her stomach, she always had a weakness for 'girl talk.'

"Sure he did, with his little child heart. Enough with this 'memory.' I have bigger fish to fry! Namely, one sitting in a cell." Serenity tried her best to picture what Mina was describing to her, but her mind came up blank. She could picture roses, and the smell - oddly. No boy though.

* * *

Serenity was about to press the button on the wall to send her body meters below the surface. There was no need to really plan when she was going to see Takeshi. She could warp there in seconds, that is what made her hesitant. There was no walkway to his cell for her to think and gather herself; she was going to a place where the sun didn't shine.

"Serena, it is good to see you." A voice in the darkness called out to her.

_He couldn't see her, no matter how hard he tried _Serenity figured. Takeshi had gone from a blinding prison of light, to this hell hole. "Nice to hear your voice Takeshi, are you ready to talk?"

"That depends on a few things Princess." He drew the 'S's out like a slithering snake. "One, I want to know that I'm going to be safe. You have no clue. No clue, what you are dealing with. Second, we can't talk here. Somewhere – more secluded. Without your guards trying to peep in on every word. How about it? Just you and me. Those are some simple requests."

Serenity could imagine his face. Those features sliding from one expression to the next, a mixture of suave and truth, mixed with the danger of risk. "I can't truly promise the first one, but the second – I can work with that."

With a snap of her fingers the two were transported to a room filled with clutter. Hat boxes in one corner, clothes from a long ago age thrown in pile in the other. A mirror attached to a cosmetics station was across a window looking out over the gardens. There were no doors to the room, it must be an attic – a storage room for cheap keepsakes.

"Will this do?" Serenity asked. Where to lead this conversation to now?

"This looks all fine and dandy. All except for the inch layer of dust on everything." Takeshi shaded his eyes from the light coming in from the window, and walked over to the clothes pile to grab a cloak. Moving to the other wall, he covered the mirror. "Need to be a little bit safer then the plain obvious." His master could easily pry into their conversation through reflective surfaces.

No seats were in the room. Serenity hadn't thought about that when she came up with the 'attic' idea. So she sat down where she stood. Hoping that Takeshi would follow suit. She never liked having a man standing over her. Plus, if they were both sitting, there was less chance of any unnecessary combat.

"I'll start from the beginning." Takeshi pulled out a gold chain from his pocket. How he kept it from the guards left Serenity to question her security, but let it slip by. At the end of the chain was a dull circular object. The metal cover had been scratched so much that the engravings on the surface were indiscernible. Her prisoner started from the beginning, when he was a child. His fights in the streets, his training with Sir, and now his life's mission; all which included her.

* * *

Endymion looked at his own watch, a time piece given to him by his father; a heirloom of sorts. He was meeting Natsumi at a tea house a few blocks from his 'prison.' He snuck out of the palace under the guise of a servant, but had no luck finding a way to the port to meet his date. Calling her, he gave her an address. A dark blue cab pulled around the corner, and was put into park. Car exhaust filled the air from the pipes, and Endymion covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Out stepped the one and only, Natsumi. As striking as ever, she wore a black summer dress. It was made out of slinky fabric, so it clung to her form. The hem was high in the front around her knees, and the back dropped to her ankles. Striding over to him, she put her arms around Endymion's lean torso.

"It's so good to see you," she said while she pulled back to look at Endymion's face.

He knew he must look like a disaster. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to straighten it out, missing the one strand that wanted to objectify his commands. "Let's go in. I've been dying for some company since I got here."

"Glad I could come save you."

Walking into the restaurant, a waiter showed them to a table. Endymion did take note of the tea house's unique qualities. Unlike the traditional ones at home where birds hung in cages, the whole restaurant was a bird cage. Glass filled the gaps between the bars to keep the weather out, but made sure all the sing-song birds stayed in. One yellow bird with black spots around the beady eyes landed on their table. Hoping around, it looked up at Endymion in question for food. On the table was a jar filled with bird seed. Grabbing some in his hands, he let the little bird eat out of his palm.

Natsumi was not so easily entertained with the show. She was just waiting for one of the little twerps to send a present flying down on them. "Tell me about the Moon Mamoru."

Endymion didn't know where to start. Most of it was good. He went over the water system, which Natsumi took a real interest in. Then he went on about Mina. He didn't use her real name, and went with 'this girl.' That really got his side of the conversation going. Mina drove him crazy! No matter how hard he tried, wherever their conversation lead to - it turned right back around to that girl.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 57th Earth Cycle

The loud knocking on the wooden door shattered the illusion of Takeshi's and Etsu's 'walking' lives. A training session was called to beat back into them their purpose for living.

"Now you know how well they live. Those who have been soiled with false ambitions fail to see the jewels they throw out as waste. Do you remember where you came from? That time in your life when 'they' ran you out of your homes, your family?" asked Sir. He was pacing in front of them. They bowed at his feet, their heads to the ground. "Training must begin again. A task has been assigned, however, you will not know of it until I think you are ready. I regret to say, my decision to let you live upon the scum has weakened you. We shall start with some sparring." He clapped his hands together, the resounding sound planting a seed of fire in the children's hearts.

Etsu had been paired with Takeshi. Unfortunately for the odd one out, they were paired with Sir. Their commander pushed them to the brink of death for what he called a 'warm up.' He wanted them out for blood. Stances were changed repeatedly, followed by a smack to the head. Takeshi fought hard, he moved as swiftly as an eagle. Etsu, however, moved like a snake; preparing each move, and attacking at just the right moments. During one match, Takeshi felt like he was going to pass out. He had to finish it. Running towards his opponent, he flipped over a blow marked for his stomach, landed on his hands, and made a pinwheel motion with his legs knocking his friend to the clay ground. He heard the boy's body land hard, and went to go help him up. A streamline of blood was running down the inside of Etsu's leg. _Had he been wounded? _He couldn't have hit him that badly!

Etsu noticed his stare."Get over it brother." He pushed away Takeshi's hand. "It's part of being a girl!"

Takeshi's eyes reflected the confusion in his heart. What was his friend saying? Etsu must have hit his head! "What?!" he asked while bending over to catch his breath.

"That's right. I'm a G-I-R-L! You know, no berries and stick down there."

This 'boy' who had gotten him through his childhood, given him food, shelter, and the only person he could call family was a girl? How could this be?! Takeshi ran through his mind looking for the signs. Now that he thought about it, he did notice that Etsu's figure had changed slowly over the past months. He passed the 'plumping' for the lack of training with Sir.

"I didn't want to hide it from you, but it was the only way to survive in those sewers. How was I suppose to lead a gang of boys if I came out I was a girl. I was the strongest, bravest, and smartest of you all. You know not for one second would you have trusted me if I told you what I really am." Etsu was looking at her feet, her hands balled into fists. Tears ready to burn there way down her cheeks.

"I don't know if I trust you now!" Takeshi threw his hands up into the air. She was right, he wouldn't have handed over his life to a girl. Not then at least. It was hard enough to put your life in another's protection. "Does Sir know?"

"Of course he knows, that's why he kept me. I had to persuade him."

"Persuade him?"

A dark shadow spread over her face. She was ashamed of what she had to do in the darkness. It wasn't like she trained like the other boys. Her powers were far beyond what they could control. She had the skills far above their highest achievements. "Forget it. Think of me how you want, either way – we are still going to beat those walker's heads in."

Takeshi was speechless. He walked off the circle they were practicing in, and sat on the side. She followed a few feet behind.

"Takeshi.. I'm sorry." She laid her hand on his shoulder warily. "If it helps, we can start anew. As if you never knew me. My new name.. I never told you. It's Natsumi," she confessed._ "New name, new life_," she chanted. As if the stupid saying would make her situation any better.

* * *

Only two chapters for the current update as of now. Thanks again for continuing this journey with me!


	20. Chapter 20

Seeking Love

Chapter 20

Serenity had made a cushion for her elbow with a tattered silk dress, she was lying on her side with her head propped up against her hand. Takeshi sat cross legged on the other side of the dim room staring at her. Night had fallen, and Serenity had cheese and grapes brought up to the attic. So far she had gathered pieces of Takeshi's past, but there was still a big blank space about the present and future.

"What made you change your mind about killing me?"

"You really want to know?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Of course. I don't step where I'm not prepared for the journey."

After a long pause and deep sigh, he answered her. "You. You are the one who changed my mind. It's as simple as that. There's this glow about you, and not just some physical attribute, but it's as if you wear your heart pinned to your jacket. Growing up, as you now know, I always thought the royals had it in for us. I felt like the carpet you would tread on. Really, not even a carpet, just the dirt and crumbs that end up being swept underneath. Survival, that's been bred into me. There's only one other person, beside yourself, that I would have gladly given my life for. Times have changed, and one night while I tossed and turned – I knew I couldn't live if your blood stained my hands. You make me want to see the world in a different perspective, to be that person who can lead a better life."

Serenity only felt pity for the man. There was no compassion, no love brewing in her heart. What he had been through, his childhood – she couldn't imagine what they were truly like. She still felt like she was looking at him from the wrong end of a telescope. All that mattered now, was that she find the source of the madness. This 'Sir' is the one who turned Takeshi into the monster he became. "Tomorrow is your hearing. I'll be there, but I'm not making any promises to what your sentence will be."

"Whatever is bestowed upon me, I am sure it will be in the fair judgment of thy lady."

"I don't know what you see in me, and I don't know if I'm really the one who changed your decision. Seems to me that seed was planted many years ago." Her eyes glanced at the pocket watch still sitting in it's owners hand. "I will let you sleep here tonight. There is no way for you to escape, so don't try. I think it fair enough that you spend one night outside of a cage before your final call."

"I dream of no paradise." A last phrase to end the conversation, to end the night, to start the end of many things.

Serenity tossed the clothes back to their pile, thought twice about leaving the last few grapes for the man, they remained, and snapped out of the room.

* * *

Endymion as soon as he returned to the palace, on orders from Kunzite, drug himself to visit the Princess. He was suppose to come up with a reason to excuse the Earth Kingdom from the ball, how he was suppose to do that - he didn't know. Kunzite's excuse for skipping out on the duty was that it wasn't the 'Prince's' job to deliver such a disposition. Endymion assumed it was his cuffs after being caught for his escape. He rolled his eyes while he navigated his way to her quarters. As much as the teleporting was convenient, it also made him feel lazy. What would the world fall to if walking became obsolete?

Rapping on the door, there was no answer. Pressing his ear against the wood, out of old habit, he could hear subdued crying on the other side. Knocking again, the sobs stopped, and a bloated face peaked into the opened crack. Eyes swollen and red, as if hay fever had come over the victim. Her blonde hair was a bush not to be messed, and there was even a trickle of a new stream of nose goop - _eh._ It wasn't the Princess, but... _Mina?!_

"I – I was looking for the Princess." He couldn't get over how ridiculous the girl looked in front of him.

"She's not here." Serenity was about to close the door in the man's face, only another fly to shoo away.

Endymion pressed his hand on the door to keep it open, and he slid into the room. The lights had been off, and there was a mountain of tissues lying on the floor. If the Princess was here, there was no way to find her in the aftermath of this storm.

The sniffling girl was sitting on the bed, ignoring him – as usual. He was getting use to the act. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong or just sit there in a slump? You know, I can have a listening ear once in a while, and unpredictably - it is turned on right now."

That got him a weak small smile. "You don't even want to know what's going on in my head right now."

He didn't, but he wasn't going to be that callous, not today after his date with Natsumi. Looking around the room, he spotted a fresh box of tissues for Mina to blow through. "I can guess there's a lot of snot. So here, take these, and tell me what happened." He lifted his hand and hovered over her back to give some sort of comfort, but thought against it. He let it land on her shoulder instead, a gesture he would have done for one of his guardians when they had deep talks.

Serenity didn't care anymore, about anything. Her life was falling a part. It was the apocalypse of her life. "You really want to know huh? Well. One, I'm stuck in an engagement. Two, I have no want to be part of it. Three, the guy is a piece of blank paper." Her fingers rose one by one following her count. "Four, then this man I do like, he turned out to be a mess. Five, I'm only 18! Then I have all these responsibilities to deal with! I just want to be a normal girl! Not that this is a complete sob fest, because YOU! YOU make my life 10 times more complicated then it already is. _Y__ou_ are always there – I mean you are _here_ of all times. You can't handle my opinions, my words, my life! You make my thoughts a mess too!"

Taken aback, Endymion didn't know how quite to take it all in. Maybe this was more of a girl to girl conversation then he thought. How was she mad at him?! He should be mad at her! Taking a deep breath, he blamed the accusation on the peak hysteria of emotions. "Okay. Focusing on the former problems, you're stuck in a arranged marriage. I know all too well how that feels." Serenity looked up at him in spark of the connection. "I can't say I've been too fond of my supposed other half, but I haven't really met her either." He tried to lay it on light and sweet. He was still getting use to seeing this girl so unconfined with her feelings. He thought she was going to be a closed book until the day he died. "Then that other guy, eh – throw him out the wolves if he makes you feel the way you do." Now he was turning into a therapist, how ironic. Here he was helping this teary eyed girl, and he couldn't sort out his own problems with Natsumi. "To the point, a guy shouldn't make you feel like you're dying, myself included."

That got another smile with a bonus of a laugh. "Me dying? I don't think so." Serenity blew her nose into another tissue; it felt like sand paper against her nasal. "It's more like I can't decide if I want to kill him or not."

"Dealing with life or death are we? In that case, just go to sleep – that's always a good median."

Serenity laid her head down against her pillow. How did she let this arrogant man into her bedroom? How does he do it? One moment they are yelling at one another, and the next he's putting her to bed. "By the way, the Princess, she's not here – I think she's in the garden looking for your Prince, she has some ideas about the ball."

He konked himself on the head, sometimes he felt too simple minded. "Oh yeah, that's the reason I came by in the first place. I needed to talk to her about that. I'll get out of your tangled mass of hair now, and let you rest." Endymion skirted out of the room, before the sleepy girl started yelling at him for making fun of her bush head. This was a little too much of a new side of Mina for one night. He wasn't sure if he would call that an up or down moment on their amusement park ride, but he felt the warmth still growing in his heart.

* * *

It was like being nailed into a coffin. Takeshi couldn't close his eyes. He stayed in the same spot, still crossing his legs, the blood flow had long gone, his lips were dry from the stagnant air. The Princess had been all too generous with letting him stay up here, and now he wished for the confines of his cell. There he felt safe, it was familiar, and it was in complete darkness. Here, his mind would wander, but then his eyes would land on that dusty mirror. The antique wood frame covered in cobwebs, but still retained the strong power of a reflection. After all he told, he wouldn't be surprised if he never woke up once his eyes closed to this world. He hadn't told Serenity much of Sir's future plans, Natsumi, or what he knew about the Prince. He wanted to be better, but old habits die hard. If he told all – he knew he would have a target on his back from both sides; survival was still his priority. Without life, there was only the mysteries of death - and he was not ready to inquire just yet of that realm. Plus, that Prince – his family line was the reason he was in this predicament, the root of it all. Why he had to hide his whole life, why he had no family. Judgment day was coming for that man soon enough.

As if on queue, the lit dripping wax candle blew out. A chilled presence swept through the air, Takeshi was in no plight to flee or fight, but he couldn't stop his eyes looking up towards the ceiling – her entrance was always so grandeur, it made him gag.

"Takeeeshiiii.." came a giddy voice, "You seem comfortable. How was your little chat with the Princess?" Natsumi had a way with conversations. On the surface they seemed harmless, but underneath they carried a deep wrath. "You must not hold any regret in your heart dear brother? You sit there in mere content." She was saying this all with a red lipped smile plastered on her face. It gave Takeshi a sickening feeling, yet he stayed sitting.

"I've changed my mind, and there's nothing you can do about it. Kill me here, I will not fight with you, and I will never again fight **for** you!"

"We will see about the latter. As for the former, I have no intentions to kill you brother." The red headed vixen stepped out of the smoke, and hopped to crouch before him. Her foot kicked the bowl of fruit over in cruel spite. Her pointer finger, the nail encrusted in gold, slid under his chin. It's pointed spike dug into his tender flesh. "You see, unfortunately, our plan seems to be falling apart, and well - I've come up with a new one."

"As if we could really have ripped apart the engagement. There is no way to stop the Earth and Moon alliance. Your body can't get you everything! Anyway, how did you even find me?"

"It was not hard at all." She looked at the mirror in a smirk. "There is a reflection in glass too," and her head swiveled to the window like a bobble head.

_Moon Dust! _What had he been thinking? As always, Natsumi was still his superior when it came to stealth. "If you aren't going to kill me? Then what do you plan to do?"

"Sir wants you for one more thing."

"I told you, I wont fight for you."

"You don't really have to." Her hand rose before her face, and she was inspected her other nails. They were as pristine as always, a shiny gloss of blood red. The tips began to grow, and her hand morphed into an unnatural shape, it formed into the shape of a silver claw. "Oh – I almost forgot, Sir wanted to say," her voice grew deep, replaced by a more eloquent tone, "'Thank You' for all you've done. Not only were you a good little boy, but seems like you donated your hand to the cookie jar." The voice slid back into the peppy sarcasm. "Sorry brother, but as you know, this is going to hurt."

Diving down towards his heart, her hand sunk into the warm flesh. Only a trickle of blood spilled onto the antique blush carpet. A green liquid ejected and began to seep into his veins, and his mind went blank. _NOOOOOOO!_

* * *

"NOOOOOO!" Nephrite yelled out. Not again! He was still at 0-4 in the match against Jadeite. They were in the midst of warming up for their training session for the new weapons. The Princess had brought them to the training grounds. At the moment, the room was only a field of short grass, black graph walls curved up into a large dome, and the two men were throwing a disc, a simple game of pass. The only rule was that every time you jumped to catch it, you had to 'cut' off a limb. In other words, the first time you dropped the disc, you were not allowed to use your left leg; making you look like a hopping pogo stick. The next limb was your right hand, followed by the fingers on your left.

"Boys," Mina called out. Ami had finished calibrating the new court, and the training session was about to begin. Zoisite went over the details on how to take off the safety of the DNA gun, they were loaded with a bullets of paint instead of the treatment. During his explanation, the surrounding field grew, and multiple buildings were erected to look like dojo houses. The insides were a maze of paper screens, and bamboo walls. It would not be easy to pin point a target, nor easy to hide from the enemy. The generals insisted it be a 'rematch' for the capture the flag; once again overly confident in winning the round.

Each person was placed in a different sector of the map, and had to wait until the buzzer sounded. They would have to rely upon just themselves at the start of the battle. There were no gadgets for communication, and that left strategy between a team open to the wind.

Serenity pulled at her stealth suit. Everyone was wearing them, but her skin tight pants kept riding up in the most uncomfortable way. She hated the trainers as much as she loved them, they were comfortable – but they looked ridiculous. Ami had ordered them, not out of Mina's magazines, but from a weapons dealer living on her planet.

BBBUUUZZZZZzzzz

Sliding around a totem pole, Serenity looked at her surroundings. The sounds of a clanking bamboo water fixture was put on repeat as the ambiance to the game play. Her bare feet slowly walked across the cool wood flooring, her eyes and ears alert for any other signs of movement. She found the sliding door of the four walled room, and slid it open. There was a dirt path, not good to hide her trail, but nothing else seemed to help her work around the problem. Stepping out of the room, she sprinted down the path. Slowing down at a corner, she crouched to take a peek around. She saw two people dressed in black, and they weren't her soldiers. Holding the gun close to her chest, she released the safety. Taking a deep breath in she lunged out and quickly let off two shots. Each hit dead center in the chest, this was just too easy. Nephrite and Zoisite looked at her with open mouths, and put their hands up in defeat. However, Nephrite started wailing at the top of his lungs calling out their position. "OOOOOVVERRR HEEERRRE! SHEE'S HEEEERRE!" Serenity would have to haul her ass out of there, or she was going to get shot at herself.

Endymion heard the call, possibly two or three clicks away. The arena was playing tricks on him. He knew the room couldn't be this big, but he kept finding himself running in circles. That's when the idea hit him. Reaching down to touch his toes, he quickly stretched out his calves, and then moved on to making sure his hamstrings were in order. Making a run towards the building in front of him, he leapt into the air at the last second before his face became part of the wall. Catching the edge of the roof with one hand, he was able to pull the rest of his body up. Planting his feet on the roof, he tested out the strength of the structure, it was strong enough for him to walk on without making a lot of noise. Now he had a one up on the rest of the players out there, and he knew there was no way he wouldn't be the winner. Taking strategy into mind, he didn't head straight to Nephrite's voice, instead he thought of where the enemy would run. Looking at the surroundings, there was a bamboo forest to the North, a river to the South, and the East and West were more dojo styled buildings and then two large sand courtyards. The sound was coming from the river, so it was a 90% chance that the person was headed to either of the courtyards, and a 10% chance that they were coming straight at him. It was either wait it out, or be the fox hound that he was.

Serenity slipped through more passage ways, but took a few routes through the buildings, there was more cover that way. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a creak a few feet away from her. Stepping away from the paper door, she was at an advantage because the sun was on the other side of the wall. A shadow grew, but Serenity quickly recognized the figure as Makoto.

"Makoto!" Serenity whispered. "It's me, Ser- Mina.. whatever. It's me!"

The girl tore straight through the wall, not caring that it wasn't suppose to be a door. Makoto shared that she had found Ami, and that she was sitting high up in the bamboo grove. They would call out bird signals if she pin pointed where the other team was at.

The two moved together through the rest of the halls. Serenity lead them East. Unfortunately, they didn't find anyone, but a bird call from Ami told them that somebody was headed their way. Sprinting forward to an archway, Serenity's feet touched scorching sand. Fortunate for her, she was running fast enough that it did not burn, but she quickly found shade underneath an enormous momiji tree. The red maple leaves were a stark contrast to the white sand. Makoto was just behind her yelling out obscenities.

Makoto hid behind the trunk while Serenity climbed up the sturdy branches. Looking out, she saw a black figure jumping the roofs heading northwest, away from them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flaming ball heading for her. Jumping out of the tree, and landing with a roll she looked up. There was a gaping hole about 5 ft. in diameter.

"REEEIIII! You almost killed me!"

"Ooops. I saw the black." Rei walked in from the other entrance of the court shrugging her shoulders.

"Next time, LOOK. What if this were a real battle?"

"I said sorry... jeez."

"Hey, Ami just called out another signal. There are two guys about to corner our girl Mina, we gotta skedaddle," said Makoto.

Jadeite and Kunzite had found a target and were closing in fast. The running blond went into a building. Kunzite had walked around to the back, and Jadeite followed in. This dojo was different then the others he had traveled through. The halls were all narrower, barely any room for him to move side to side, yet to even turn around. Kneeling down, he let his ear rest on the wood floor. Slowing his own heartbeat, he focused on his hearing senses. There was a pattern of feet running, the trail making an imprint in his mind. Doubling his speed, he would catch up to her in a matter of seconds.

Following the lead of the man she saw, Serenity began running on the rooftops while Makoto and Rei ran on the ground to the location Ami had directed them to. Up here she could feel the wind passing through her hair, and a scent of cherry blossom passed her way. She felt like she was flying between bounds from one tile to the other, and she was more then half way there.

WHOOOSH!

A bullet had missed her head by a mere centimeter. Jumping to her right on her next leap, she searched for her aggressor. It was him! He was holding to the roof with one hand, and had shot the gun with the other, but was now scrambling up the wall for a reposition. She wouldn't give him another chance, that was the second time today that she had almost been 'killed.'

Pulling out her gun, she fixed her aim on his back, and pulled the trigger. CLICK... click, click, click. It wasn't shooting. The damn safety! Pulling it down, she tried finding the black figure again. No luck, he had moved. Now, it was either run or hide.

Makoto was about to take the back entrance to the building, when Rei told her to hold on. She lit a small flame at the end of her finger, and lit the panel in front of her. It burned in seconds, but stopped when it reached the next panel. "Shortcut anyone?"

Endymion had given up trying to get on the roof again, so he had dropped back down. Going on pure instinct, he ran around the corner of the building Mina was standing on. He would have to find another angle of trajectory... or, he could take his chances. It was just a game, one he didn't plan on losing, but a time for some luck to kick in. He opened the panel, and ran in. He couldn't hear any movements above him, she must still be standing in the same spot. Being as stealthy as he could, he didn't make one creak on the wood; a technique taught to him by his father. Walking on the balls of his feet, he stood right underneath his target. Closing his eyes, he raised the gun straight in the air and let off a single shot.

Mina had sweat dripping down her brow, back, and everywhere else her skin was wrapped by the black suit. Making a quick decision after hearing footsteps coming towards her, she turned around and crouched at a corner. She couldn't run forever. Another set of footsteps came from behind her, and another few sets coming from her sides. She was a rat in a trap. Readying her gun, she counted to three, and turned the corner and let out a range of shots. Peeling her eyes open after the array of noise, Makoto and Rei stood in front of her – covered in yellow paint.

BANG!

Looking over her shoulder, Jadeite stood there with a smirk on his face. "Gotcha." Kunzite ran up behind him, overly prepared for the battle. Slumping his shoulders, and jutting his bottom lip out, he protested about not letting off one shot!

The walls around the five began to disappear back into their former forms, the black graph. Only a few feet away from them stood Serenity and Endymion. Serenity had a splatter of white paint between her legs, her face looked like a steaming kettle. Endymion was bent over laughing at the display.

"The score stands, 4-1 Earth," Ami reported as she walked towards the group. Nephrite and Zoisite behind her.

"Nice show girls, but no match for us!" Zoisite said with a mouthful of popcorn, his hands held a large tub of the treat.

"You were the first two out!" said Makoto.

"Ya, but our team was the one that survived!"

Serenity stood with her hands on her hips, humility – a trait she was suppose to be practicing as a royal anyways. "Looks like we are even now," she said towards the overly pompous ass in front of her.

"Don't take it too seriously, it was just a game, and a good one at that," said Endymion.

Serenity was oddly glad that everyone was in such a good mood. It was a nice change from the past few days. All the stress, and stored energy finally had an outlet. Her sailors were back to their usual selves, and back into the swing of things with the generals.

* * *

Finally getting the chance to peel of her outer clothing, her skin finally got to breathe again. Serenity let her hair down from its tied up bun, and her hair fell down around her face in wispy curls. Turning the water to a bath on, she sprinkled a small amount of rosemary into the tub. She was about to dip her toe in when a persistent knocking finally reached her ears. _What now?!_

Putting a robe on, she went to answer the door.

"Serenity, I came up with an idea!"

"Shhh.." Serenity held her finger to her lips. "You don't know who is listening." It was Rei. Couldn't she have come at a different time? "What is it?"

"I have an idea for the ball! I just talked to Ami about it, and she is in the process of making letters. The ball, it is going to be a masquerade! You know, with masks, costumes, over-sized and obnoxious decorations!"

That would fix a lot of their problems, and keep their identities hidden. Serenity quickly agreed, and sent Rei away. She could just see the steam taking all her heated bath water away. Other then focusing on washing the stink off her body, there was only one other thing pulling at her mind. Takeshi, and his hearing later that day.

* * *

Sorry it has taken me longer and longer for me to update, and less chapters. I really wanted to get this story done before school started, but no luck there. Hopefully my decrease in adding chapters isn't deterring any of you away. I'm trying my best! Thank you!


	21. Chapter 21

Seeking Love

Chapter 21

It all happened. It happened so fast that the sky turned red, and the stars disappeared with the sun. Shadows were erased, and the unnaturalness of the universe felt like a hole made by a gunshot in the darkness.

Serenity's brain was a buzzy, grainy faded gray of humming static. The synapses of her brain reverbed with the resonating pump of her heartbeat. She lifted her hands to her panicked face. She couldn't feel it. It was as if another set of hands were grabbing urgently at her, as if she were controlling a body from a separate room filled with wires and cables with no windows to the outside. The information coming back at her was that she was as cold as a tiled bathroom floor in the early morning. Her eyes shifted, spasming from her overflowing consciousness. Her thumbs slid over her fingers, as if feeling for an invisible piece of cloth. All she felt was a glossy liquid coating them. It was warm, it was sick, it was blood. Finally her senses focused to the body laying in front of her. His black hair feathered across his gaping open unmoving eyes.

* * *

6 hours earlier...

"Are you done yet?" Makoto yelled on the other side of Serenity's bathroom door. " It's a date, but a court date!"

"I'm just taking out the curlers, I'll be out in a minute. How about you just go ahead of me, I'll meet you there."

"Fine. Hurry though, the court can't wait forever." Makoto didn't believe her, the Princess rarely used hair curlers. She was probably gathering her wits, and she deserved her time.

Makoto joined the other soldiers and guardians at the front gates of the palace. An ivory carriage sat in the drive, the coachmen restlessly looking at his pocketwatch. He was going to have to stretch his patience a bit longer.

"Where is... Mina?" asked Rei. "Don't tell me she is still getting ready."

"She'll only be a minute," replied Makoto.

"Well, I was just finishing telling the Prince about the Moon's court system" Mina cut in.

_The court system on the Moon was different from Earth's judge and jury system. It didn't make room for human error, and thus did not rely on humans. Instead the voice of reason was given by a device from the ancients of millennia past. Witnesses are called into a room one at a time. The last people to enter are the defender and the prosecutor. For the past 100 years, Engineers from all over the galaxy pried to see the piece of tech, but not one has been allowed near it. Reasons from the Moon council of it being tampered with by a human would compromise its use. Some people thought that it was a tool used by the royals to pardon criminals in their favor, but others believed that the ancient artifact could find the truth in any soul._

-The Universal Commons. Article 21

"So Kunzite, what are your thoughts about the two kingdom merger? Which law system would take precedence?" asked the stand in Prince.

"For public opinion, I don't think it would be wise to follow the Moon's. How is it not just a flip of a coin? I see how your system works, hypothetically, but it also sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo." Endymion turned to Ami. "How do you know that this 'machine' is handing out justice?"

She didn't have a second to answer before Nephrite cut in. "I can't even imagine what a trial would even look like. It's like the whole accumulation of an event, but taking out the emotional ties between those on the stand and the jury. No way to sway another human through words. It's like taking a direct photocopy of the brain!"

"That's it, but not quite. In a sense, there is so much more happening around us then we can perceive. The device isn't just replacing a jury, but it is our law," explained Ami.

The seriousness of the moment swelled, and was popped with, "I'm ready! Let's go!"

Serenity was running through the doors, tan heels in her hand. She was halfway in the carriage by the time everyone could comprehend her presence. "There isn't any time to waste! Come on, hurry up!" Eyes rolled, but they followed suit anyway.

The normal bump and grind of the wheels passed the silence. The courthouse was at a disclosed location, even from the royals. It only seemed like a half an hour passed by the time the drivers boots hit the ground. Serenity stepped out of the carriage first and took in the view. In front of her spanned endless rows of pearl white trees in white soil. The only color that stood out was the contrasting blue sky. Endymion stepped out next, and the scene reminded him of a fresh snowfall at home. His childhood memories of making snow forts with his generals rushed him. The smell of a light nectar and mint passed under everyone's noses.

A man in an all white uniform finally presented himself to the group and started to lead them down a path made of white stones. The group walked in two lines behind the strange courier. He had a big bumpy nose, and it looked like the hard outer shell persona was probably the cause of it.

_What court system would I choose?_ Endymion thought to himself while shuffling his feet. What his generals had stated before really stirred his mind. Already the process seemed more like an ancient ceremony then a government trial. He was astonished that the court seemed so under-wraps Did the citizens really believe in the system this much that they hadn't raised questions about it?

The path twisted underneath a bridge. The arch above was high and had a sharp incline. Decorated upon the bridge was colored glass pieces. Inset was the phrase, "Do not judge. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged in, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." A chill ran up his spine, and he folded his arms over his chest. Before them wasn't just a simple arch, but more like a tunnel without a light at the end.

Serenity had never been to the courtrooms before. Her mother talked about them briefly once, but only restated what she read in the history books. Two by two the generals and guardians walked under the archway. A small blast of air hit her face, and her eyes closed in reaction. When she opened them again a they were all in a narrow hallway facing a white marble door. Serenity let the air out of her lungs she had been holding in. Wisps of white floated out of her mouth. The place felt like a freezer.

"I will call you in one by one. You may sit in these seats while you wait. Once you are done, you will exit out to another room," announced the crooked nose man. "Miss. Makoto, you are up first."

The group of 10 began to dwindle. Serenity's hands were tight in fists under the pressure. What would the device say about her? Did she want Takeshi to be sentenced? A warm hand fell on top of hers. It was Endymion's. "Don't be so nervous. It is technically your way of things. Shouldn't a soldier be showing confidence in the system?" asked Endymion. Serenity wasn't sure if she was relieved by the comfort, but she did enjoy his warm hands.

Soon it was just Serenity waiting alone. Takeshi would be at the stand now, as the defender. She would be next. "Princess, it is your turn."

She wasn't sure if she was as prepared as she had hoped to be. Turning the warm brass knob, she entered the room. She had expected the room to be empty, black, and drab. It was. In the center of the circular room floated a glass ball the size of a well rounded watermelon. Multiple colors struck through it every few seconds, like lightning was being contained by the glass surface. Rubbing her hands on her clothes to dry them, she stepped forward. An intuition to place her hands on the globe like a seer came to mind, and a jolt ran through her connecting her to the device, connecting her to truth. The feeling of power, righteousness, and understanding of the world rushed through her. Images of her own memories ran through her mind, as if a replay button had been hit. She was stuck in a whirlwind of her past, her regrets, in her own times of trial and strife. Then it started doing something she did not expect, showing her something she did not know.

_She was in a pink lace taffeta ball gown. A smile was on her face, and she felt like she was on top of the world. Nobody could stop her. A man's warm hand was positioned at her back, and the other holding her arm up in the waltz. Violins played in the background, and the ballroom floor seemed to disappear. Was it her coronation? What were they celebrating? She tried to look up at the man's face, and then the sound of nails on a chalkboard broke the tranquility. The screams of women and children resounded in her ears. Glass falling as the windows and wine glasses shattered. She felt like she was in the middle of a tornado. Wind whipped up her dress and her hair. Then a voice trying to drill into her mind came through._

_"You think you have everyone fooled. You think you can rule this Universe. You think that you'll bring peace to this world. You will never be a Queen, least be called one. You've stolen our right, and now we will steal your life. Princess, the storm is coming."_

_Serenity grabbed her head. She wanted it to stop. The pressure was all too much. Her eyes were squeezed as tight as possible. Where was she? A blue light glowed beneath her eyelids. Peering out, she looked around. Then she looked at her hands and her body. The light was coming from her! What was happening?!_

All too soon, the effect stopped, and she was back to her original state in the dark room. It was as if someone had turned the off button on a terrible movie. Was this suppose to be a sign? Her future? The globe stood still in front of her. The energetic lightning through it ceased, and it looked like a regular glass blown ball. Looking around the circular room, she looked for a door. There was the one she came in from, and a black one on the opposite side of the room.

Scrambling for the door, she wanted out of there. She wanted her guardians, she wanted anywhere but here.

"Where do you think you're going?" rasped a harsh voice. It was the same one from her connection to the device.


	22. Chapter 22

Seeking Love

Chapter 22

Prince Endymion had finished giving his 'statement' to the ancient artifact. Parts of his childhood when he was running in the rose gardens, and times with his parents passed through his mind. Next came his adolescent teen years followed by the recent weeks in regards with the Moon Kingdom. Even Natsumi made it into his flashbacks. Last they talked was at the Aviary Restaurant. She said she would stay in town, but now that she was here, she didn't pull at his mind. What kept triggering his anxiety was Mina! After having that talk the previous night, he couldn't stop thinking about her. What she must be going through. She had relations with that beast! and here she was standing against him. Could he do that to someone he cared for? The longer he stayed on the Moon the more he questioned himself, and he didn't like it. He was used to knowing what he wanted. He was to be a decisive ruler! Not this wishy washy 'boy.'

When he emerged from the courtroom, he was standing in another identical hallway from earlier, alone. Where was everyone? Identical seats were placed in the identical spots, and he plopped down. No use getting himself lost. Folding his arms, and crossing his legs, he let himself close his eyes to the silence. It had been a while since he last had this much time to himself without one of his guardians breathing down his neck about this problem or that. Then he heard a jiggle of the handle. Opening one eye, he glanced at the door knob. No, he was imagining things. Closed his eyes. Then he heard it again. it was shaking now, as if someone was trying to escape! He jumped to his feet, and pulled at the door. It flew open, and a solid body thundered into him. Before he could reorient himself, Endymion could feel large hands reaching around his throat. An unwieldy pressure was against his windpipe. He couldn't breathe! He couldn't scream! His lungs were burning for air. His eyes frantically tried to focus on the man on top of him. It had to be a man, no woman could be this bulky. The last thing that he finally recognized before the world went dark was Takeshi's blood shot eyes staring at him in a maddened rage.

* * *

Serenity whirled around, her back against the door. "Whose there? Show yourself." Next to self-glorifying Princes, the next type of person she hated the most were cowards who hid themselves.

Broad shoulders stepped out of the darkness. His black hair was pushed back, and a plastic smile pasted on his face.

"What are you doing Takeshi? You aren't suppose to be left unguarded."

"You think guards were going to keep me silenced? You really think that your kingdom would fly under the radar of my master's plan for reconstruct this disastrous Universe?"

"What happened to all you said earlier? You said that you were changing!"

Takeshi kept walking towards her at a steady pace. Nothing warranting an attack, but they look of a predator rang true in his eyes. "Well, I guess I lied."

"You aren't going to get away with this again. This isn't you! You might of thought you were lying to me when we were together all those times, but I know that some of those things were real. You can't believe that we are solely responsible for your childhood. You know things have changed! PLEASE! TAKESHI! LISTEN TO ME!"

He was only a foot away. She could feel her sweat sticking to the door behind her. Her mind kept switching between man and monster. His arm twitched by his side. Was he trying to fight his inner self? Turmoil was rolling in his mind, it had to be. All it took were three words.

"Serenity. Help... Me."

She leapt forward, and embraced him with her open arms. His body began to convulse, and she held on tighter. "FIGHT IT! YOU CAN DO THIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"I... caaaaan't.. You must, you must kill me! I don't want to kiiiill you," he chattered into her ear. His eyes started rolling back into his head. "I'm sooorrry."

She could feel his sanity leaving his body. She stepped back, and his body stood rigid. A dead body standing. Then the eyes opened again back in their fits of rage. Takeshi would be forever lost, and now it was up to her to deliver his justice.

"MOOOON POWER! MAKE-UP!"

The empty body began moving. With stilted movements it came towards her. By then she was able to move to the other side of the room keeping a good distance between them. His head was in the air, as if looking for her scent and not using his eyes.

Grabbing her tiara, she thought of the least damaging way to put him down.

"MOOOOON TIARA, ACTION!"

It spun into a halo of light, and she flung it at her pursuer. He slid to the side, and hit the wall - only to bounce off into the other parts of the circle. The monster made for the door, and tried to make an escape. The disc making a star came right back at him, but by then he was already out the door.

* * *

Endymion's eyes fluttered open. He was floating in a gray mist. There were no walls, no ceiling or floor. Was this limbo? Purgatory?

"I see you did not heed my words Prince Endymion," said the man's voice from when he was in the cave. "I told you to protect her! and what do you do?! You let her be attacked! Look at the mess that has been made?! What have you been doing that has been preoccupying your time!"

Endymion didn't know what to say. He was speechless. Being scolded by an invisible entity was more threatening than when there is someone there to be pointing a finger at you. "What am I suppose to do? I never signed up to be her caretaker."

"You think that is what this is about? What a young Prince you are."

Endymion could see the snivel in the man's tone. "You still haven't told me why you chose me! I'm just a Prince." That got him a small hearty laugh. One that a grandpa would give to his grandchild.

"You still see the Universe with small eyes. You still love with a small heart. I chose you simply because you were born into this Galaxy to do many a great things. I can not tell you too much, spoilers, but I will give you some hints. Starting soon you will be faced with two tests. These trials will help you unlock what is within yourself, and what is to be found in the girl."

"What does that mean?"

"HUSH! I cannot help you anymore. The path will be unveiled when it is time."

* * *

The door slammed shut before Sailor Moon could follow Takeshi. She tried to force it open, but it was stuck. It was as if the room itself decided she was not fit to leave! She could hear bodies tumbling, and silence followed. Pressing her ear against the wall, she started to hear a series of clanks as if wheels were turning followed by a simple click. The door opened on its own accord into a room filled with her sailor scouts.

"Did you see him? What happened?!" she asked them agitated. They looked back at her with confused looks. Then it all became clear, the circular room had turned!

"We've got to go! Takeshi. He escaped, and is running around. Something happened, and I can't explain it, but we are all in danger."

The other girls quickly changed into their Sailor Scout garbs, and they followed her back down the corridor. Hopefully it would lead them back from where they came from.

* * *

Endymion could feel ground moving swiftly beneath him. Rocks hitting him between his shoulder blades, and twigs pulling at his shirt. His jacket was turned upwards, thankfully adding some sort of padding to his head. His feet were elevated, but it was because he was being dragged by them. Takeshi' in a sweat soaked white dress shirt, and rolled up pants grudgingly pulled him along. He looked up at the sky and saw the white trees. They were still at the forest. Where was this man taking him? Play dead or fend for his life? He tried to move his wrists, but found that they were bounded to his waist. Looked like he was going to have to choose the former.

Keeping his eyes closed, Takeshi finally stopped and pushed him up against a tree trunk. Seemed like even monsters needed a break. Endymion made sure to keep his eyes lidded as much as possible, but he caught glances of the man. The 'wild' seemed to have disappeared from his disposition. It was time to make a move.

"What do you want from me?"

The heavy man stopped what he was doing, and turned towards him. "You're up. Good. My master will be pleased. You see, he's always wanted to meet Prince Charming."

"Let me see him then! Don't keep me waiting in the dark here."

"Patience Prince. Patience."

"How do you know I'm the Prince?"

"Did you really think that facade was going to fool us? You might have been able to trick those of the Moon, but you see - we have a longer standing history with you." Takeshi had a bag with him, how he got it - Endymion didn't know. Out he pulled an empty syringe. "I've been told to get something from you. Don't worry too much." He came close, and jabbed the needle point into Endymion's forearm.

Endymion tried to wiggle away, but it was no use.

"Had to get this for Sir," Takeshi said as he shook the tube with Endymion's dark red blood.

* * *

Sure enough the Sailor Scouts had come out from under the bridge. Now to find Takeshi. The girls huddled together trying to come up with a plan.

"How are we suppose to find him?! He might still be in the courthouse!" stated Mina.

"I don't think so. The most logical route for him would be to get as far away as possible from here," countered Rei.

"Well he must be on foot, so that means he would still be within a miles radius," added Ami.

"We're wasting our time then just talking here," said a stumped Makoto. She was always ready for the action. The planning is what she dreaded the most.

"Problem! Which way did he go? I don't recall any one of us getting an 'A' in tracking," said Serenity.

A deranged and misfit man came stumbling out of the archway. "He said he was going towards the river! That way!" It was the bumpy nose man from earlier. He was pointing a crooked and blue finger off of the path to the right.

"Well that answer that. Let's go!" ordered Makoto.

The girls took off each in their own huntress mode. Mina and Serenity took the tree tops while Makoto and Rei ran between the trees. Ami jogged silently behind them keeping a tracking system of each of them while also mapping out the terrain.

"GGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" The groan was straight ahead of them. They weren't far from whomever was making the noise.

Sailor Moon reached the origin first. Takeshi was hovering over a body with a bloody knife in hand. "SSSTTTOOOP!" she screamed.

"The party has arrived. The stage is almost set!" Takeshi hollered out into the air. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was turning dark. "We must start and finish this play before the curtains are drawn!"


	23. Chapter 23

Seeking Love

Chapter 23

Earth Year: 22nd Century 57th Earth Cycle

"Natsumi, it is time for me to further your skills."

The training for the day had finally finished. Takeshi still wasn't talking to her, and she was fed up with playing his childish games. She focused her anxiety on her practice and studies with Sir. He had called her aside while they rest of the trainees were leaving for their homes.

"Do you think I'm really ready?"

"I would not have said anything if I hadn't. I hear you have told Takeshi of yourself. How did it feel uncovering your lie?" the bold man asked her.

"I.. I felt betrayed. I thought he was going to take it easier. I hate being a girl!

"Understandable. It is hard to let our true selves be seen, but this is why I have chosen you. I want to give you a gift. Only you can wield it, and I believe you are the sole heir to it's power. Follow me."

* * *

Present Day

"STAY BACK!" Takeshi ordered. His fingers were all pointed at Serenity as if they were the blade of a sword.

"Takeshi! Don't do this."

"Don't tell me what to do! You are not my mother!"

Serenity had never seen this childish side of Takeshi before. It was as if the layers around his mind were slowly peeling away to reveal the ravage beast within. She would have to wait for her soldiers. They should have been here by now, they weren't this far off her heels.

Takeshi finally backed away from the figure resting on the tree._ Kunzite!_ How did he get here? "Stop this! I won't say it again."

"You're an old broken record, and I'm getting quite sick of listening to the same tune. I much prefer the wailings of a little girl!" This time he rushed directly towards her. His hands were by his side, and he came up to her holding a small knife against her throat. "Now I want you to beg for mercy!"

The cold edge felt like a piece of ice against her throat. She dared not swallow or breathe. Somehow, she found the courage to not cry or whimper. Takeshi's hot breath was adding layer upon layer of disgust upon her face. She wasn't going to let this man treat her like this! She was never going to let any man treat her like this! "GGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAH!" she grunted, as she pushed Takeshi away with both of her hands. He tripped, and fell to the ground stunned. The rage in his eyes was replaced with a sickening fear. They bulged from their sockets, and his mouth began to slowly drop open. All the troubles Serenity had to deal with up until then were finally let free. The damn had broken, and everything was let out. Her fuss about Takeshi, the problems with her mom, and most importantly her disgust with the engagement surged out of her in the form of a solid beam of blue light. The brilliant fluorescent blue streamed through her body. From the center of her heart to the ends of her fingers and toes.

Endymion stood on the other side of Takeshi, and was just as shocked to see the sailor soldier burst into a glow. That crazy voice wasn't in his head after all. This was reality, and it was happening right here and now in front of him. He had never seen so much radiant energy. He had never seen something so dangerously beautiful.

The blue light grew to envelope Takeshi, and his body began to float upwards as if hooked by his chest. He struggled to hold his head up to keep his gaze on the shining warrior. A prickly feeling started at his appendages. Shifting his site, his fingers began to dissolve into miniscule square pixels. It was as if he was being deleted from this existence. There was no real pain, but he couldn't help but yell out, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The last piece of Takeshi he saw was the man's eyes. The face was struck in fear, but the eyes looked like they were at peace. Was Takeshi actually in that state of mind? Nobody would ever know. The blue glow descended from the woman's body, and she toppled over onto the ground. Endymion was still uselessly and helplessly stuck to the tree._ What a Prince I am._

* * *

_All she felt was a glossy liquid coating them. It was warm, it was sick, it was blood. Finally her senses focused to the body laying in front of her. His black hair feathered across his gaping open unmoving eyes._ That is what Serenity saw during her transformation and execution of Takeshi. The man lying in her arms who was once the blossoming love in heart.

Unbeknownst to her, she was literally in another state of mind.

* * *

The other four sailor soldiers were all grumbling. Rei kept trying to ram into the empty space before her, but it just pushed back sending her flying.

"I've told you once. Don't make me say it again. There is a barrier up! I'm trying to find the source, but I'm doubtful that I'll be able to break it down," dictated Ami.

"Our Princess is in there without us! Type faster!" urged Mina.

Makoto was in the process of trying to find a hole shield. She could feel the electrical pulses without having to touch the invisible screen. So far she could tell it was shaped into a sphere around whatever the center point was. She was on her way back to the group when the soft buzzing stopped. Reaching her hand out carefully, no reaction occurred.

"Ami. The shield is down. Start directing me towards the Princess," she said over her walkie earpiece.

Her green boots hit the ground hard and strong. She swiftly navigated through the trees towards the location Ami had given her. Only 10 meters away! Serenity's body lay on the white soil. There was no sign of blood, but there wasn't any sign of her moving either. As Makoto got closer she saw one of the Prince's generals tied to the tree.

"Looks like the damsel in distress is a boy!"

He looked at her in disgust. "Do you really think that this is the time to be sarcastic?!"

"Calm down. What happened?!" She reached down to feel for a pulse, her Princess had a steady heartbeat. A single stream of wet tears ran from her closed eyes. What was making her Princess cry? She immediately pulled her into her arms and began to carry her back to the archway. "The others will be here shortly, they'll untie you."

* * *

Eventually everyone was back into the carriage heading back to the palace. Serenity lay on Makoto's lap still. Rei untied the ropes, and they went in search of the other generals and the Prince. Turned out that the boys were trapped in another hallway, but with both doors locked.

"Princess, you really ought to talk to the Moon council about that courthouse! It just isn't safe!" expressed Zoisite.

"We were about to starve.. I mean one of us was in danger! There was a killer out on the loose!" added Jadeite.

* * *

The bulging nose man was now alone in the white woods. He hastily walked over to a tree, a rope strewn around it. Behind an adjacent tree was a bag. Within it contained something most precious to the cause.

"Sir. Both tasks have been completed. Takeshi is no longer making problems, and I'll be sending the blood samples your way," said the man over a mobile.

Stripping naked in the cold wind the white suit dropped to the ground blending with the rest of the white soil. Another set of clothing within the bag was taken out and adorned over the 'chicken bumped' skin. The man's facial features began to melt into a more soft face. His height shrunk, as did his waist. His hair changed last from a short grey cut, to long and flowing red locks.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 57th Earth Cycle

"You see Natsumi. I'm going to teach you how to shape shift," explained Sir as he put his calloused hand upon her shoulder.

* * *

First off, I'm soooooo sorry it has been so long since I updated. School work has been in the way, and I really wanted each chapter to be solid. So I've been taking more time on each chapter revision. I'll most likely be posting another section of chapters within the week. Ya for free time.

Also, I ask for your patience with Endymion and Serenity. I know it is unusual to keep them apart for 23 chapters! but I promise, the time is coming soon. It's going to be a bang.


	24. Chapter 24

Seeking Love

Chapter 24

It was as if she hadn't left the bath tub in the last 24 hours, here she was again. She could see the steam rise around her, but she still felt like an unmelting ice cube sitting in boiling water.

Since her mother had told her of the engagement to the Prince of Earth, it had been a whirlwind. Her mind traced back to the first day she had landed on the Earth's surface, the blue sky racing by beneath her window. She couldn't tell the difference between falling and flying at the time. Then Takeshi found himself at her feet, literally. The first kiss they shared underneath the night lights seemed so long ago. Now, thinking back, how could she have not seen the signs of his betrayal, they were all there literally in front of her? In a way, it wasn't a betrayal - more just her stupidity. Serenity grabbed for her loufa and started scrubbing at her feet up to her ankles. Then there was Kunzite to think about. A small smile spread across her face when she remembered her many conversations with him. He was a pain in her side, but only the type that comes after laughter.

Now, here she was - Takeshi was gone. She was all too grateful that nobody else got hurt. Her hands were grazing the surface of the water, sweeping across it's serine surface. It brought back the feelings of the surging energy from her last battle. Whose hands were these? Surely not hers. What power laid within her? She had completely lost control of her body - She had lost time.

The engagement party was in a few days. There was so much to prepare. Ceremonies and traditions that needed to be done before the actual engagement could even be announced! All part of the extravagant life of a royal. Thank goodness Mina had all the party planning skills at her disposal. All Serenity wanted to do was wrap herself in soft blankets, fall into a deep sleep and forget about the world around her. Unfortunately, having the title of Princess didn't allow you to do that.

* * *

"AGAIN!" Endymion yelled out at his sparring partner. It was all he could do in his spare time but train. He had humiliated himself at the White Forest, not just in front of his generals - but to himself. How he loathed that day. He had failed at a true test of his whit and skill. What was he doing?! Was he really ready to wear the crown? Let alone get married.

Thoughts of the past months were also running through his mind. That man, Takeshi, his aura was pure beast instinct. How could a being reach such a state of pure savagery? Then racing alongside those thoughts was Mina! The power that surged from her. It was pure electric energy. It was life, it was danger. How and when was he ever going to explain that cave explorations to her without sounding like a whack? She'd think he hadn't recovered from his 'torture.'

To add more things to his overflowing plate, his project back at home was falling to pieces. There was still a missing step towards rejuvenating the lower class and help them gather cleaner water. He hadn't even thought about it in the last week, and it was the one thing that he had dedicated his last 3 years of his life to. Seriously, what had he become! Then.. the cherry on top.. Natsumi. She was still in the city somewhere. He wasn't sure if he was ready to see her. There were too many questions, too many events, too much engulfing him at once. He was drowning in the chaos. So, all there was to do was fight.

The clanking of metal resounded in the practice room. The type of training could be considered old school, but it got his mind off of things. It brought back order, and a sense of logic to his life. Jadeite stepped into a deep lung forward, he was about to constrict the Prince into the corner against the wall. Endymion's hair was out of sorts and completely soaked from the exercise. He had ordered no helmets for this match, because he needed to feel the urgency of making that decision between life and death. To feel that primal fear that had been coursing through him like it did at the forest. What could make him feel like that again? The technique to fight Jadeite was already second nature to him, but nothing of use when it came to fighting outside of the ring and set rules.

Twirling his wrist and catching Jadeite's crossguard, he wrenched it out of his man's hand.

"You have me beat once again." Jadeite huffed out. They had been at it for hours. He didn't even bother to find a chair, and collapsed to the ground. "You can't fight forever. Don't you think it's time to give it a rest?"

"You don't understand. I'm not ready. I'm not ready for any of this."

Jadeite shot a quizzical look at Enymion. "What do you mean you're not ready? I'm assuming you're talking marriage, and not combat skills."

"No! I mean, ready to rule! Ready to take on the Universe and those lurking in it's shadows. I'm not saying I'm backing down. I just... need more time."

"Time. You will never have enough time. If you really feel that insecure, I'll contact an old friend - a master of the arts per-say. I'm sure he can find where your block is, because I for one am worn out."

Endymion helped the man up. Leaning against each other they headed for the door. Conveniently it opened on it's own and revealed none other than a hyperactive Nephrite with brown frizzled hair.

"BOYS! I have good news from our Ms. Makoto. One of our problems has been answered by the Gods.. well, the party planner Gods! Apparently, on the Moon - it is custom to have themes for all the events. So... the engagement ball is going to be a masquerade! That means masks, costumes, and above all else - drinks all around!"

Endymion didn't know if he had the capacity in himself to punch Nephrite in the face, or restrain himself and walk away.

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 58th Earth Cycle

Her mind was closed off to the world. No sound, no sight. In her mind's eye, she pictured herself in front of a mirror, but when she looked at herself there was nothing but a black abyss. Then she began to think of a person. She didn't search for the shape of their nose, or the color of the hair. What came to mind was the texture of their tweed jacket, the smell of coffee lingering on their breath, and the sharpness of the persons wit. Then opening her eyes she found herself looking at a real mirror held by Sir. A middle aged man looked back. A nine o'clock shadow, brown eyes and hair, about 5'9'', and looking just as flabbergasted as she felt. It worked! All the hard work over the past year finally paid off, and she could do it. She checked her body. No discolored skin patches, extra toes, and most of all she didn't feel any discomfort. For the first time she didn't feel like she had stepped into a miniature box, but more like a skin tight bodysuit made especially for her.

"Congratulations Natsumi. Look at you." Sir said, as he began to slowly clap his rough hands together in success.

She couldn't help but let a small smile slip onto her face. This was one thing she had done in her life that she could feel accomplished at. It was what made her special.

"Sir, just one question."

"Go ahead."

"Am I going to have to drink that awful mixture you make every time?"

"Yes Natsumi. It's part of the process. Blood and chocolate. Blood is the reactor, and chocolate - well that helps it go down."

Natsumi's face held still. She knew not to show such emotions of distaste, but she had been drinking... blood? She had beaten and almost killed boys twice her age, but the idea of digesting another's blood made her want to puke.

* * *

Present Day

United Galaxy Conference 10:00am

"To order! To order!" called the Mediator. "Representative from the Moon Kingdom, the stand is yours."

All 1,000 eyes followed the elegant figure up to the podium. Her pure white hair stood out against the plethora of blue and black suits. Only a few ruffles of papers and clicks of pens could be heard next to the lady's graceful steps forward. Her voice carried no hesitation, and only of the strongest demeanor and poise.

"This conference has gone on long enough. Many points have been brought up about the possibilities of war, but let me remind you! We may not know who our enemy is, but this war is no longer teetering on the edge! It is only imminent! I expect many of you to already know this, but there was another attack against the Moon Kingdom. Not only against my beloved home, but also against the heir to the Earth Kingdom's crown. If this does not raise alarms in your scribbling notes, I am afraid to ask what will. We must stop the bickering among ourselves, we must stop thinking of just ourselves as individual nations, but as one strong force that will stand strong together for our families, our loyalties, and above all else - the future of this Galaxy. For this conference is NOT called anything else but the UNITED Galaxy Conference. United! As we should be acting right here and now!"

There was only silence after her last words, but slowly one by one an applause rose in her favor. Queen Serenity stepped down, and started her walk towards her seat.

* * *

"SHOPPING!" Mina cried out. The girls were drinking tea out in the greenhouse. Things had calmed down, but only on the surface. To get everyone's mind off of the past few days, Mina decided she was going to force everyone to go find their masquerade costumes for the ball taking place in two days.

"Not surprised at your... enthusiasm," said Rei as she rolled her eyes.

"Can't you just go for me Mina? You already know what size I am, and you choose my outfits for me already!" pleaded Ami. "I have system updates and patches I need to run and install before the ball!"

"You two are no fun!" Mina pouted. "At least I have Makoto and Princess Serenity on my side."

Makoto just sat there crossed eyed as Serenity gave her a meek smile.

"Fine, I'll just go by myself! and... with all the generals." That got the girls' attention, and soon each gave in to Mina's pleading.

* * *

A big sign loomed over the large group. LORI'S COSTUME SHOPPE. The place had just opened a few months ago, just in time to service all those going to the Royal's party.

"Come in! Come in!" A lady waved from inside. She had bright red overflowing curly hair. It was all tied up on the top of her head with a bright yellow canary scarf. She was a well rounded sort of woman, plump, but her smile was just as big - as was probably her cash drawers. "Hello! Hello! Welcome to my beautiful shop. I am of course, Lori. You do not look like any ordinary people off the street. If I had to guess, you all must be going to the Moon's Masquerade ball."

Moon Masquerade. Mina quite liked the sound of that. "We are actually the hosts," specified Mina. "My soldiers and I need statement pieces, the most daring you have. Then those gentlemen over there also need some.. inspiration." Mina pulled the wide eyed lady aside, "You see, they're from Earth, and to be quite truthful - have no idea what fashion is these days."

"Ahhh... I think I know what you are getting at umm.. then you must be Princess Serenity I assume?" Lori asked.

"Oh dear, you can call me Serenity." Mina continued to introduce the rest of the party.

"Well, as I was saying. I just finished some designs last night. Let me call out my assistant from the back, and she will take care of the men. We can't have you all knowing who is who, 'tis a masquerade for heavens sake!"

The five girls were bustled to the left side of the cluttered shop. Half dressed mannequins, boas, glitter, animal skins, and all kinds of fabrics covered the tight aisles. How the owner kept it all organized in her head was just a big of mystery as it was who would be dressing up as whom.

The five men were left starring at the colorful shop by the door when a call came out from the back. "This way boys!" Each one tilted to the side to see who was calling to them, but nobody was to be found. "Over here," yelled the voice again. They walked through the maze of clothing, following the sound. Endymion was leading them all, and pushing a neon green jump suit out of the way, he came face to face with Natsumi.

"Hi! How can I assist you today?" she said with a grin of mischief glued to her face.

* * *

There were too many options. Lori had sat them all down around her redwood round table. She hefted out a binders full of sketches. Mina immediately picked up a drawing exclaiming how it was meant to be, and Lori began taking down measurements.

"You should be a bunny Serenity!" suggested Rei in a teasing tone. "You could have ears, and a cute little furry tail."

"You can be a little devil!" replied Serenity. "I think it'd fit your personality." She cocked her head in a smile.

"I'm thinking about a robot of some sort. Maybe look like an artificial being," said Ami to try to break up the beginnings of their argument.

"That'd be... you." Makoto said in agreement with Ami. "I want to be... a souffle." Her mouth was already watering at the thought of it.

"You girls need to be serious about this!" Mina called over her shoulder as her waist measurements were being taken. "Classy people. Classy!"

* * *

Endymion didn't know what to say to Natsumi. She didn't confront him, so he just went with her act. He couldn't quite introduce her to his generals! He finally was left alone one on one with her when she started fitting him in a black tux. The tails on the one he had on were a tad too long.

"Surprise!" She whispered into his ear as she took his collar measurements.

"What are you doing here? You come down to visit, and then get a job?!" he stammered out of a closed mouth. He didn't want to be too loud.

"Well, you left me all alone out here while you were in that castle... Kunzite. What else was I suppose to do with my time darling? I didn't know you protected the Prince of Earth!" She began fixing the fit in his shoulders.

"I know, I know. I haven't been as truthful as I should have been with you. You need to understand though, I had to keep my job away from you... for security.. and what not. I'm sorry I didn't give you much notice, but to be honest - I'm just a little flustered."

"FLUSTERED? I should be the one flustered. You bring me to the Moon, then you practically forget about me. I find out in the newspapers that you're actually an Earth General, and you expect me to just sit and be merry. I should poke in the eye with one of these needles right here and now!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" Endymion still didn't know what to say to this flaring red ball of fire circling him. "How about, how about you come to the ball?" Right after the words left his mouth, he knew he was going to regret it. Everyone important to his position would be there! It was like bringing a mistress! He was bringing a mistress! but it was too late to take the words back.

"Won't you be busy doing general duties?! Or are you expecting to get bored, and need me to fill the gaps?" Natsumi stepped back and stood in front of him. Her arms crossed, and eyebrows waiting for an answer.

"I really want you there, as my guest.. my... date." This would have to do until he could figure out what was really going on in his empty head. "I'll have an invitation sent here when I get back to the palace."

"Fine. Only because it's going to be a fancy event... and I'm actually getting tired of the old bat anyway. Lori can be quite the fussy employer," she sauntered while sucking on her thumb as if she had pricked it from all her hard work.

"What are you going to come dressed as?" asked Endymion.

"It's a surprise."

"That's not fair! You know what I'll be in."

"Hey, just look for the most sexy girl out in the crowd. It'll sure be me."

Endymion looked in the mirror after Natsumi was finished. He did look fine, never before had he looked this good in a tux.

"Hey good lookin', you still need a mask." Natsumi handed him a slender white mask. It tapered up at the corner of the eyes, and he placed it on the bridge of his nose. She then popped up behind him and plopped a top hat on his head. "Mmm... Tuxedo Mask. Perfect."

* * *

All the other girls had decided on their costume, but Serenity wasn't feeling right about any of the sketches or dresses they shoved at her.

"Lori, do you have anything more elegant, but... striking?" Mina asked.

"I have shown you everything my darling!... well, not everything. I've been working on a sketch, it's not the normal style for these royal events. If you ladies can wait for a bit, I could probably finish it up for you."

The lady bent over a drawing pad, and her pencils started to dance across the page. The red curls bobbed up and down, left and right. Finally, she looked up. "It's done."

She tore the page out, and handed it to Serenity. "Here, take a look. Tell me what you think." She waited there in anticipation.

A lone figure was draped in white fabric. There were pulls and gatherings all over the place, but it created this effect of ordered chaos. Serenity's eyes gleamed over the piece of art. "I love it."

"Good. Now at least I know somebody will wear it. I think I'm going to call it, the Swan."

* * *

Since Serenity didn't have to go through any alterations yet, she walked towards the front of the store. The Generals were all clumped by the men's dressing rooms. Looked like they were still changing as well. Up by the front sign, she sat out on a smooth wooden bench to drench in the day's sunshine.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? Finished already?" asked Endymion. He was in his usual stance leaning against the door frame.

"Sort of. You?" Serenity didn't need to look at the man to know who it was.

"All set." He looked at the girl on the bench. That spark that she usually carried with her was missing. Obviously the weight of the past had gotten to her. She looked like she needed to talk to someone and air out the laundry.

"Hey, do you want to go get some ice cream or something?"

She looked up, with a weak smile. "Umm... " She didn't have anymore dress shopping or royal business, and for once it wasn't anything she HAD to do. "Actually, I'd love to."

The two walked down the street to a local creamery. Each got a double scoop of their chosen flavor, it was that kind of day where size didn't matter. Sitting back down, Serenity couldn't help but talk about what was on her mind. It's just what happened when she stuffed her face with sweets.

"Kunzite, what do you do when you become disappointed in someone? or.. you feel like they disappointed you?"

"Woah, way to start off deep." Endymion took a deep breath in. "Hmm... Well, one of my greatest fears is that I think about the situation so much, and hold it in so long that I won't be able to forgive that person. You can't just write it off as if they haven't done anything wrong, but you need to cope with it. I'm not the best person to give advice about these things, my life is pretty messed up too, but - talking about why they disappointed you with someone always helps me. It at least stops all the wrong feelings from building up inside. If that happens, then a trigger can just make it explode, and that is never turns out well."

"Is it alright if I talk to you about it?"

"Hey, ice cream and a pretty girl - I think I can handle it."

"So, you've probably guessed, but it's Takeshi. Even though he's... gone. I thought he was different. I knew this side of him that was heartfelt, and good. He was good! I just don't know what happened, there was someone else pressuring him to do the things he did. Then.. Then I just... destroyed him! Literally killed him body and soul! What type of person does that?! To be honest, I'm scared... I'm scared that I'm going to lose control." Serenity was on the verge of tears. Why she felt that it was so natural to open up to Kunzite she didn't know.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Your power that is. You remember how we were on Nephos, and you blacked out. Well, I didn't tell you this because I thought you'd think me off my rocker, but something happened there between you and me. There was this cave..." and he told her everything. From the glowing lights, to the fall, and finally about the voice and the power stored in her. "...at the White Forest, the voice came again - and he said I would be faced with two tests. I have no clue what it all means, but what's happening is real, there's proof to show for it now. Then when I was with Takeshi, he said there was someone he was looking for, a person named Sir. I know that isn't all that descriptive, but it's a start. Do you think that was the person pressuring him?"

"He wasn't working alone, that's for sure. Sir.. that really isn't much to go off of. It's just a prefix. I just don't know what to do. I feel like nobody does. Do you ever have that feeling of being lost?"

"All the time." Endymion smiled. "You know, there are so many forces pushing us this way and that, it is hard to feel like you are choosing your own destiny. I know that feeling all too well. You just have to keep going forward though, keep striving for what you want, and what you think is right."

"The problem is I don't know what is right anymore. I don't even know me! You tell me I store this power, but I can't even control it!"

"You know what, Jadeite is setting me up with some lessons with this master of his for control and different art forms. You are free to join me if you wish. I'm meeting him this evening."

"I'm not sure if it will help, but I'll plan on it. I need to work on some of my 'moves' anyways. HIIIYA!" Serenity swiped the air with her hand, and the outcome was a SPLAT. Completely forgetting they had been eating ice cream she looked in horror at Kunzite's face. The last scoop of her ice cream had landed smack dab in the middle of his face on his nose.

Endymion burst out laughing. He must look ridiculous, but he didn't care. It had been a while since he had laughed this hard. The ice cream slowly melted down his face, and Serenity joined in on his delirium.

After the mess had been cleaned Serenity suggested they go back. The others were probably done with their fittings. Leading the way back down the road, Endymion casually followed behind. Her hair swayed back and forth to the rhythm of their footsteps. He couldn't help his eyes follow down her backside. She looked enticing for once. He shook his head at himself. This woman, could he really see her like that? Then he thought about it again, more seriously... he could.

"Mina." Serenity stopped at his tone of voice. "I've never told you this, but... I wanted to say I'm glad we talked. You really are an interesting girl. Complicated, but in a good way. As some corny poetry would have put it, 'like a rose bud gradually maturing into a blooming flower.' I seem to see more of the real you every time we see each other." Serenity only smiled to herself, and kept walking.


	25. Chapter 25

Seeking Love

Chapter 25

The sun was just breaking the horizon. Looking at the skyline, the sunrise was just as beautiful here as the sunset was on Earth. Endymion was on his balcony sipping his cup of coffee. He usually opted for tea, but that morning he was going to need all the energy he could get. The ball was that night, and his body ached from the training the night before with Mina. He had a lot to learn. Jadeite's master of the arts was more harsh than he expected. He didn't even start them with basic moves. They began by sitting there in meditation for over 2 hours! Then forced straight into battle. All he remembered was, "Good Evening Sensei. Yes Sensei. No Sensei. Good Night Sensei." Now his body was yelling at him, and he had sores at every joint. It was like the time he sprained his hand and it was in a cast for 3 weeks. After, his hand felt like a piece of marble and wouldn't budge!

Following up to the ball, there was still a lot for him to do. His tuxedo laid on his bed with a top hat and his white mask. His plans for the morning, before he had to start greeting guests with Kunzite and the other men, was to go for a morning run to loosen him up.

* * *

Serenity still felt like a puppet being pulled this way and that. She still couldn't get out of her slump! It was like summer break, and now she was expected to go back to studying textbooks. In this case, it was going back to life! Her bed never felt as comfortable as it did that night. It was like a cloud encasing her body and making the pain flee in panic.

A ringing sound finally pierced her cement shield of thoughts of peace. Her phone was ringing somewhere, but of course tied up somewhere in her sheets. Ugh! After throwing her entire bed apart she found the little device, annoying as a fly in a kitchen.

"Hello?!"

"Serenity! I've been up all night, and I have something to tell you." It was Ami, she was talking at a million words per minute. "Research. News. Run," was all she caught through the ear device.

"Slow down Ami! Let me get dressed and I'll meet you in the gardens in ten."

Quickly dressing herself in the first thing she found, sweatpants and a white tee, she made her way down to the gardens. She was hoping not to run into anybody in the state of dress she was in. It was only Ami she was planning to see anyway, she wouldn't care about the lack of formality.

She found the blue bobbed haired girl sitting on a bench. To an outsider she would look.. well stoned. Looking into the emptiness in front of her, blinking only once a minute at most. Serenity knew all too well that the prodigy child was deep into cyberspace and swimming through the coded text projected on her contacts. Waiting patiently, she knew she wouldn't be able to get her attention until she came out of the feed.

A small jolt ran through the small girl. "You're here. Hope you weren't waiting too long."

"No worries. Not like I was doing anything really important anyway."  
Ami couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not. She wasn't the best at picking up social cues. "Umm.. To the point, I have been up all night doing security run throughs of the palace, and then I got sidetracked. Which is unusual for me since I usually have a schedule for everything. I don't like to be interrupted, as you know, and.. well it was bugging me. So I decided it was best so my abilities wouldn't be dimmed by this pestering problem of meaningless value..."

"To the point Ami.."

"Oh...well, I started doing some background research on Takeshi. I know this subject matter isn't something you really want to talk about, but there was a small break in code in his file, which is unusual. The compiler picked it up, and the syntax is all wrong! It was in a completely different language, something they used back in the 21st century, C++. Well, I finally was able to read the code, and run it through a virtual machine. I don't know why the human race used the system, it seems so... anyway, I guess you have to start from somewhere."

Serenity didn't understand anything coming out of the girl's mouth. She was just waiting for Ami to condense everything she trying to saying.

"...he left us something. I don't know how he got into the system database, but he left a list of names. They are all encoded, but I'm thinking they are people he worked with, or maybe others who were working under the same boss. I'm still figuring out a key to decode the jumble, but it's something I've never seen before!"

"A list?" Serenity furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. "How do we know it isn't a trap? One he set for us, or someone else set for us?"

"It could be, but what would it hurt to find out the names at least. It's a crumb to somewhere."

"That's true. I guess, just keep working on it. Then once we figure out what it means we can decide what to do from there."

* * *

Earth Year: 22nd Century 64th Earth Cycle

"Happy Birthday Natsumi!" yelled Takeshi. "I can't believe you are already 20!"

In his hands he held a delicious chocolate cake. He convinced his 'mom' to teach him how to bake so he could make one for his lifelong friend. It didn't have 20 candles on it, or any fancy sprinkles. Just the rich dark brown icing that made his mouth water while he stirred it together while thinking of the time he had to pry his body through bars in order to get his next meal. It was all due to... her. He had finally gotten over the fact that he was a she the whole time they'd been training together after a whole year since the incident that made it impossible to cover up her gender. It wasn't his whole fault though. Sir always took her aside and made her train by herself. Their master said it was so she wasn't a distraction to them, and that they weren't a distraction to her. Eventually, she came back to training with them. It took Takeshi a while to get use to training with her, but he gave it all he had - in fear that Sir would give him a good punishing. Which he did once or twice to this day.

A soft air drifted over the cake. "Just because there aren't lights, doesn't mean I can't make a wish does it?" Natsumi asked. She closed her eyes, and the two sat in silence.

"Let's eat!"

The sweet hazelnut spread engulfed Natsumi's sense of smell. The dewy cake hadn't spent the necessary full time in the oven, but she didn't care. It was chocolate, and only that. It had been a while since something so sweet had touched her lips. She was grateful to have such a person sitting next to her on the grass hill.

The little bump a half mile off the side road had become theirs after they mended their friendship. It's where they met in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep in their soft bed, as they were doing that night. She was lucky to have someone care for her, both never knew their real parents, or if they even had siblings. Now, they only had each other - like Sir said.

"What did you wish for?" asked Takeshi in the darkness. All that lit the sky was the stars and the small fireflies.

"You're seriously asking me that? You ask me every year, and I answer the same way every time."

"I like to hear you say it... it reminds me, that there is something else out there other than Sir's training program, this town, and this hill."

"I like this 'hill.'" She could see him make his face of 'I'm serious, but joking.. but serious' even in this dimmed light.

"I wish I could blow out the lights in the sky. One by one. All that would shine would be us, standing side by side. Because, you know what they say about the white light? It's a lie. It's only darkness anyway."

"You'd have to be pretty old in order to blow out that many lights on your birthday."

"I'm sure the time will comes sooner than you or I would imagine. Sir was telling me the other day of his plans. We're going to be activated soon. You and I."

* * *

Present Day  
The White Cherry Gardens 6pm

"Princess, the Queen has arrived."

Princess Serenity was in a silk robe, her dress hung on on a hanger by the mirror. It looked like a wedding dress. Why did she give in so easily to Mina? She was brushing her hair out in the mirror.

"You've grown since I last saw you, and I don't mean in size. You look older, and maybe a little more wiser, my daughter." The Queen walked up behind her, and grabbed the brush from her hand. "I see you have found a way around facing the Prince tonight at your own engagement." Her eyebrow raised in question. The Queen was still curious as to how her daughter was going to get herself out of this little mess.

"It wasn't my idea, but there isn't a way to break the news without causing an uproar. You just came back from the UENP meeting, they are in open caucus about what to do about the last attack still?"

"You are right, but I trust you still know that it is still your duty to marry. As it is still your duty to go through the pre-engagement ceremony before the party begins. I went through it, your grandma went through it, your great-grandma..."

"I get the point mother. You still haven't told me what the ceremony is quite yet."

"Mmm.. it's different for everyone. In most cases, it is to calm the nerves of the bride to be. In my day, arranged marriages were traditional, so this tradition helps the bride from getting cold feet. Are you ready?"

Serenity stood from her vanity chair, and looked right in her mother's eyes. They were a deep green with hints of yellow. She had never seen anyone other than her mother with those color of eyes. "I'm ready."

The procession through the gardens began. The four sailor soldiers led the way through the path, each dropping flower petals of their planet's origin: Mina, daisies; Makoto, Molucella; Ami, Forget-me-nots; and Rei, Snapdragons. Serenity followed their soft bare feet against white polished moon stones until they reached a circular pool of water. Her mom waited wearing a simple white silk dress. Her guardians stepped to either side of the steps entering the silent spring. Without a word, her mother called her forward.

Warm arms wrapped around her, an everlasting hug, and Serenity began to feel the cold water touch her heels, and the sensation quickly reached the rest of her backside. Her hair was dipped in, and soon all that stood out of the water was her nose and and closed eyes. A prayer was chanted over her body. She could hear a strange sound of shaking beads, and multiple hands pressed against her pushing her to the bottom of the water. The air in her lungs held fast, and all she wanted to do was lash out those who she called blood. It took all her will to keep her mouth shut, but her eyes flew open - darkness. Her mind traveled to deep meditation; Her physical body left behind.

A light reached out to her soul, her conscience. It was calling for her, to follow it into the new world. It lead her to a garden, a garden she knew all too well.

White flowers filled the lawn, and there was a small path leading into the bushes. The sounds of wind chimes and bells rang, and the remnants of a whistling tune remained in the air. Children's laughs came from the green shrubs, and Serenity began to run towards them – having this instilling feeling to play with them. Her heart began to race in the excitement of the chase. The passing plants and flowers became swirls of color as she followed the path.  
Coming to a slow walk, laying on the ground before her was a single red rose. The bud was fully matured, showing off it's luscious petals. Serenity bent over to pick it up when a child's voice stopped her.

"No. That's not yours."

A boy, no older than the age of 9 stood before her. His onyx hair ruffled, his eyes set in determination for the rose. He scurried forward to retrieve his prize, but ended up tripping over himself landing him face down on the ground. Serenity couldn't help but to let out a small laugh. She walked over to him to lend a hand. The boy pushed it away.  
Kneeling beside him, Serenity asked, "What is your name little boy?"

"Mother said not to talk to strangers."

"My name is Serenity." She offered her hand out again, not to help him, but to shake his hand. The boy re-situated himself to stand up.

In the deepest voice he could conjure, he puffed out his chest and set his hands on hips like his father, and said, "My name is Prince Endymion."

* * *

Finally! The cat is out of the bag, and the ball is once again rolling. Figured out how I'm going to end the story, but I make no promises on when the next chapter is going to come out.

A BIG thanks to all of you who have stuck with me through the past 4 months of no writing. School.. and other excuses. :S Hope you think these next two installments have held up against all that I have been leading you to. Please R&R.


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